RESIDUAL OILS, PETROLEUM, SOLVENT-REFINED (SEVERE)
Flammability | 1 | |
Toxicity | 0 | |
Body Contact | 0 | |
Reactivity | 1 | |
Chronic | 2 | |
SCALE: Min/Nil=0 Low=1 Moderate=2 High=3 Extreme=4 |
Fuel oil.
"severely solvent-refined residuum"
The material has NOT been classified as "harmful by ingestion". This is because of the lack of corroborating animal or human evidence. The material may still be damaging to the health of the individual, following ingestion, especially where pre-existing organ (e.g. liver, kidney) damage is evident. Present definitions of harmful or toxic substances are generally based on doses producing mortality (death) rather than those producing morbidity (disease, ill-health). Gastrointestinal tract discomfort may produce nausea and vomiting. In an occupational setting however, unintentional ingestion is not thought to be cause for concern.
Although the liquid is not thought to be an irritant, direct contact with the eye may produce transient discomfort characterized by tearing or conjunctival redness (as with windburn).
The liquid may be miscible with fats or oils and may degrease the skin, producing a skin reaction described as non-allergic contact dermatitis. The material is unlikely to produce an irritant dermatitis as described in EC Directives . Entry into the blood-stream, through, for example, cuts, abrasions or lesions, may produce systemic injury with harmful effects. Examine the skin prior to the use of the material and ensure that any external damage is suitably protected.
The material is not thought to produce adverse health effects or irritation of the respiratory tract (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless, good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable control measures be used in an occupational setting. Inhalation hazard is increased at higher temperatures. Not normally a hazard due to non-volatile nature of product. Inhalation of oil droplets/ aerosols may cause discomfort and may produce chemical pneumonitis.
Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems. High boiling residues of petroleum process can produce both benign and malignant skin tumors, according to animal testing. They may contain significant concentrations of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Repeated application of mildly-treated solvent refined oils (naphthenic and paraffinic) can cause skin tumors, but after severe solvent-refining they do not. Oil may contact the skin or be inhaled. Extended exposure can lead to eczema, inflammation of hair follicles, pigmentation of the face and warts on the soles of the feet. Exposure to oil mists can cause asthma, pneumonia and scarring of the lungs. Oils have been linked to cancer of the skin and scrotum. Compounds that are less viscous and with smaller molecular weights are more dangerous. There may be liver damage and the lymph nodes may be affected; heart inflammation can also occur at high doses.