University of Pittsburgh - Center for Environemntal Oncology
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Submitted by swidersj on Wed, 10/24/2007 - 4:17pm.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gasoline Toxicity

Why is gasoline considered to be toxic?

For more than a century, gasoline fueled engines have been used in cars, trucks, locomotives, and other motorized machinery. Engine exhausts contain thousands of gases and particles, some of which are considered by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to cause cancer.

Exposure to automotive gasoline most likely occurs from breathing its vapor at a service station while filling a car's fuel tank. At high levels, automotive gasoline is irritating to the lungs when breathed in and may also cause harmful effects to the nervous system.

A number of key chemicals in gasoline are known to cause cancer or other serious health effects in humans or in experimental animals. Some of these ingredients include benzene, toluene, xylene, and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE).

  • Benzene: is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon found in crude oil and natural gas. It is also released in cigarette smoke and known to cause cancer in humans. Long-term exposure to benzene in the workplace can cause leukemia. Regularly breathing low levels can damage the nervous system and cause anemia and other problems of the blood. Benzene is a recognized carcinogen and it is the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) policy that no level of human exposure to a Group A carcinogen can be assumed safe.
  • Toluene and Xylene: Although the link to cancer has not been established, regular breathing of toluene causes birth defects and brain damage, and xylene can cause loss of consciousness and even death at high levels. Importantly, in addition to the amount of benzene already present in gasoline, the EPA has determined that incomplete combustion of xylene and toluene in gasoline also significantly contributes to the amount of benzene in auto exhaust.
  • MTBE: Many states, including Pennsylvania, Delaware and Washington D.C. have banned MTBE, a gasoline additive, because of its capacity to cause cancer and damage to the nervous system. Unfortunately, MTBE can be found in groundwater in many regions due to leaking underground storage tanks. The EPA is required to control 188 hazardous air pollutants based on a list initially defined by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.
Is there any way to reduce benzene exposure from gasoline?

Yes.
Use of cleaner burning gasoline reduces pollution, specifically ozone and carbon monoxide. It also reduces other carcinogenic air pollutants by over 15% percent, including benzene and 1, 3-butadiene. Cleaner burning gasoline contains the same ingredients as regular gasoline, but it has been oxygenated (to add an oxygenate, such as ethanol to the gasoline) and reformulated in order to greatly improve air quality on a year-round basis.

How can I minimize my family's exposure to benzene, a volatile compound?

Indoor concentrations of "volatile organic compounds" (VOCs) and resulting exposures may vary significantly, depending on the level of ventilation in your home and the activities in your home, such as smoking. You can reduce your family's exposures by following these steps:

  • If you smoke, smoke outdoors and in areas away from children. Avoid taking your children to places where they may be exposed to secondhand smoke. Better yet, try to stop smoking!
  • Keep your child away from stored gasoline, especially in enclosed areas.
  • Do not allow your child to pump gas into your car. Because they stand at the same levels as the pump, they would inhale a large amount of the hazardous vapors.
  • Do not allow your car to idle in the garage even if the garage door is open, and turn your car off immediately upon entering the garage.
  • Avoid storing VOCs-containing products, such as paints, paint strippers, kerosene for space heaters, or gasoline for lawn mowers. Buy only as much as you will use right away.

There are some individuals whose risk of developing cancer is higher due to their occupation - often as a result of being exposed to high levels of benzene, such as gas station attendants. Read more about jobs that are carcinogenic to humans and individuals with increased cancer risk due to their occupation.

What are Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (LUSTs)?

After World War II, thousands of gasoline stations were built across the United States (2.2 million tanks!) Bare steel tanks, with an average tank life expectancy of 15- 30 years, were installed underground to store gasoline. Since the 1980's, corrosion and faulty installation and operation have resulted in widespread groundwater contamination by gasoline and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). Because 50% of all Americans rely on groundwater for their drinking water, these leaking underground storage tanks pose a significant public health hazard.

You can read more about LUSTs in an article from our Winter 2007 newsletter, written by Evelyn Talbott, DrPH, Professor of Epidemiology, GSPH and Jeanne Zborowski, PhD, Senior Research Specialist, Department of Epidemiology, GSPH, University of Pittsburgh.

Sources

References:

To inquire about the Center for Environmental Oncology, send us an email: envonc@upmc.edu or call: 412-623-3375.

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