health and safety plan solid waste management unit assessment

FUEL OILS 66-30
AC
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Methemoglobinemia (a loss of the oxygen carrying capacity of the
blood), is the main toxic effect of nitrite and nitrate ingestion.
Early symptoms include headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, chest
pain and cyanosis. With increasing methemoglobin concentrations, there
may be weakness, dizziness, incoordination, joint pain and muscular
tremors (200,480).
Various N-nitroso derivatives have caused malignant tumors in
various organ systems in laboratory animals. Generally, as the
molecule increases in size, carcinogenic activity decreases (12).
Exposure to these compounds should be avoided. Specific information on
2 nitroso compounds - N-nitrosodimethylamine and N-nitrosodiphenylamine
- may be found in Volume 1 of the Guide.
66.3.5 Levels of Concern
There are no criteria or standards for fuel oils. OSHA (298) has
set a time-weighted-average exposure limit for kerosene at 500 ppm.
66.3.6 Hazard Assessment
Fuel oils themselves do not appear to be carcinogens but they do
contain several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which are'carcinogens
and/or cocarcinogens (2219). A fuel oil blend was highly active in
both cellular assays and skin painting studies (1819). Positive
mutagenic findings were observed in an Ames test, a mouse lymphoma
assay and a rat bone marrow study for fuel oil number 2 (1914). Diesel
fuel gave negative results in both .the Ames and mouse lymphoma assay
but positive results in the rat bone marrow assay (1914).
A reproductive study with rats exposed by inhalation at levels up
to 408 ppm suggested no adverse effects (1915).
Acute toxic effects of ingested fuel oils included alopecia,
dermal irritation and open sores in the genital area of exposed rats.
The oral ID,, values ranged from 5 to 17.5 g/kg for rats (1924).
Dermal studies in rabbits indicated severe dermal irritation,
weight loss, anorexia, ataxia and lethargy following a dose of 5 g/kg
(1924). Fuel oils are also minimally to moderately irritating to
rabbit eyes (1924). No chronic animal data were found.
'In humans, GNS depression is the chief systemic reaction to fuel
oils (17). Ingestion of less than rt ounce has been fatal (17). Permal
and inhalation exposures to diesel fuel have induced nephropathy in
humans (1814,1815,1816).
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