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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Fuel Oils 

Division of Toxicology June 1995 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for Fuel Oils. 

It is one in a series of Public Health Statements 

about hazardous substances and their health effects. 

A shorter version, the ToxFAQsTM is also available. 

This information is important because this 

substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to 

any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the 

duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and 

habits, and whether other chemicals are present. For 

more information, call the ATSDR Information 

Center at 1-888-422-8737. 

This Statement was prepared to give you 

information about fuel oils and to emphasize the 

human health effects that may result from exposure 

to them. The Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) has identified 1,397 sites on its National 

Priorities List (NPL). Fuel oils have been found in 

2% (26 out of the 1,397) of the NPL sites. 

However, we do not know how many of the 1,397 

NPL sites have been evaluated for fuel oils. As 

EPA evaluates more sites, the number of sites at 

which fuel oils are found may change. This 

information is important for you to know because 

fuel oils may cause harmful health effects and 

because these sites are potential or actual sources of 

human exposure to fuel oils. 

When a chemical is released from a large area, such 

as an industrial plant, or from a container, such as a 

drum or bottle, it enters the environment as a 

chemical emission. This emission, which is also 

called a release, does not always lead to exposure. 

You can be exposed to a chemical only when you 

come into contact with the chemical. You may be 

exposed to it in the environment by breathing, 

eating, or drinking substances containing the 

chemical or from skin contact with it. 

If you are exposed to hazardous chemicals such as 

fuel oils, several factors will determine whether 

harmful health effects will occur and what the type 

and severity of those health effects will be. These 

factors include the dose (how much), the duration 

(how long), the route or pathway by which you are 

exposed (breathing, eating, drinking, or skin 

contact), the other chemicals to which you are 

exposed, and your individual characteristics such as 

age, sex, nutritional status, family traits, lifestyle, 

and state of health. 

1.1 WHAT ARE FUEL OILS? 

Fuel oils are petroleum products that are used in 

many types of engines, lamps, heaters, furnaces, 

stoves, and as solvents. Fuel oils come from crude 

petroleum and are refined to meet specifications for 

each use. Fuel oils are mixtures of aliphatic (open 

chain and cyclic compounds that are similar to open 

chain compounds) and aromatic (benzene and 

compounds similar to benzene) petroleum 

hydrocarbons. In addition, they may contain small 

amounts of nitrogen, sulfur, and other elements as 

additives. The exact chemical composition (i.e., 

precise percentage of each constituent) of each of 

the fuel oils discussed in this profile may vary 

somewhat, depending on the source and other 

factors. Fuel oils are distinguished from each other 

primarily by their boiling point ranges, chemical 

additives, and uses. In this profile, six fuel oils are 

discussed. The fuel oils of interest and common 

synonyms follow: 

fuel oil no. 1 (the most widely used fuel oil) 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Fuel Oils 

Division of Toxicology June 1995 

kerosene 

straight-run kerosene 

kerosine 

range oil 

Deobase (the trade name of a clear, white, 

deodorized kerosene) 

coal oil 

JP-5 (jet fuel) 

fuel oil no. 1-D 

diesel fuel 

diesel fuel oil no. 1 

fuel oil no. 2 

home heating oil 

gas oil 

no. 2 burner oil 

fuel oil no. 2-D 

diesel fuel oil no. 2 

diesel fuel no. 2 

diesel oil no. 2 

no. 2 diesel 

fuel oil no. 4 

diesel fuel oil no. 4 

heavy residual fuel oil 

marine diesel fuel 

residual fuel oil no. 4 

fuel oil UNSP (which is not referred to by any 

synonyms) 

In the toxicological profile, a fuel oil is referred to 

by the name used in the cited study. That is, if one 

study identifies a fuel oil as fuel oil no. 1, and 

another study identifies the same fuel oil as 

kerosene, the names "fuel oil no. 1" and "kerosene" 

will be used, respectively. All fuel oils are liquids 

at room temperature, although they can evaporate. 

The rates at which the various fuel oils will 

evaporate is dependent on the temperature and the 

composition of the individual fuel oil. Most fuel 

oils are yellowish to light brown in color. They 

generally have a kerosene-like odor, are flammable, 

and burn at temperatures between 177°C and 

329°C. 

Fuel oils are discussed together because of the 

similarities in their chemical and physical 

properties. 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO FUEL OILS WHEN 

THEY ENTER THE ENVIRONMENT? 

Fuel oils are composed of a large number of 

different chemicals, and each fuel oil is a slightly 

different mixture of these chemicals. Some of these 

chemicals evaporate into the air when fuel oils are 

spilled onto soils or surface waters (e.g., streams, 

rivers, lakes, or oceans) or are stored in open 

containers. Other chemicals in the fuel oils dissolve 

in water following spills to surface waters or leaks 

from underground storage tanks. Some of the 

chemical constituents of fuel oils may slowly move 

down through the soil to the groundwater. Another 

group of chemicals in fuel oils can attach to 

particles in the soil or water and, in water, may sink 

down into the sediment. The chemicals that 

evaporate may break down in air by reacting with 

sunlight, e.g., photooxidation, or other chemicals in 

the air. The chemicals that dissolve in water may 

also be broken down by organisms (primarily 

bacteria and fungi) in the soil or water. However, 

this may take up to a year to occur, if ever, 

depending on the environmental conditions. 

Chemicals that attach to soil or other matter (e.g., 

marsh sediment) may remain in the environment for 

more than a decade. Benzene, toluene, and fuel 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Fuel Oils 

Division of Toxicology June 1995 

oilsylenes (single-ring aromatic compounds), as 

well as polycyclic aromatic compounds, are the fuel 

oil components about which we have the greatest 

amount of information. You can find this 

information in the ATSDR toxicological profiles for 

these specific chemicals. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO FUEL 

OILS? 

The most likely way for you to be exposed to fuel 

oils in the home is if you use a kerosene heater. If 

you handle fuel oils or use a fuel oil to clean 

equipment at your job, or if fuel oils are stored at 

your workplace, you may also be exposed to them 

through contact with the skin or in the air. Some 

workers may be exposed to fuel oils through their 

skin if they come into contact with them without 

adequate protection, such as gloves, boots, 

coveralls, or other protective clothing. There are no 

data on background levels of fuel oils that may be 

found in the environment or workplace. 

You may also be exposed to fuel oils if you swim in 

waters where fuel oils have been spilled. If fuel oils 

have leaked from underground storage tanks and 

entered underground water, you may drink 

contaminated water from a well containing fuel oils. 

The vapor (the gas phase) of fuel oils can also move 

through the soil and enter basements of homes or 

buildings near areas where leaks have occurred. 

Children may also be exposed by playing in soil 

contaminated with fuel oils. A major pathway of 

exposure is washing one's hands with fuel oils to 

remove paint, grease, etc. 

1.4 HOW CAN FUEL OILS ENTER AND 

LEAVE MY BODY? 

Fuel oils can enter and leave your body when you 

breathe them in the air, when you drink water or eat 

food containing them, and when your skin comes 

into contact with them. This can occur in the 

workplace or if you live near an area where fuel oils 

have been dumped or spilled. We do not know how 

much of a fuel oil might be taken up by your body if 

you inhale fuel oil vapor, drink contaminated water, 

or come in contact with fuel oils. We have no 

information on what happens to fuel oils once they 

enter your body. Kerosene has been found in small 

amounts in the brain, lung, liver, spleen, and kidney 

of exposed animals. We do not know if fuel oils are 

broken down and leave the body in the urine or the 

feces. 

1.5 HOW CAN FUEL OILS AFFECT MY 

HEALTH? 

We know very little of the human health effects 

caused by fuel oils. Daily use of a kerosene stove 

for cooking should not cause any breathing 

problems for most people. People who use 

kerosene stoves to cook do not have more colds 

than people who have other types of stoves. 

Breathing moderate amounts of deodorized 

kerosene (fuel oil no. 1) has been shown to slightly 

affect the ability to smell and to cause a taste 

sensation. Numerous case-studies have reported 

accidental poisoning in children as the result of 

drinking kerosene. These accidents are probably 

much more frequent in areas where kerosene is 

commonly used for cooking and heating. Drinking 

kerosene may cause vomiting, diarrhea, swelling of 

the stomach, stomach cramps, coughing, 

drowsiness, restlessness, irritability, and 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Fuel Oils 

Division of Toxicology June 1995 

unconsciousness; also, it may be difficult to breathe, 

and breathing may be painful. Coughing, 

pneumonia, and difficult or painful breathing after 

drinking kerosene suggest that kerosene has entered 

the lungs. In addition, drinking large amounts of 

kerosene can put you into a coma, cause 

convulsions, and may even cause death. When 

kerosene gets on your skin for short periods, it can 

make your skin itchy, red, and sore; sometimes 

blisters may occur and your skin may peel. 

Breathing fuel oil no. 1 vapor for periods as short as 

1 hour may make you feel nauseous, increase your 

blood pressure, be irritating to your eyes, or make 

your eyes bloodshot. Breathing kerosene or JP-5 

vapors can also affect your nervous system. Some 

of the effects that have been noted in case studies 

include headache, light-headedness, anorexia (loss 

of appetite), poor coordination, and difficulty 

concentrating. Breathing diesel fuel vapors for a 

long time may damage your kidneys, increase your 

blood pressure, or lower your blood's ability to clot. 

Constant skin contact (for example, washing) with 

diesel fuel may also damage your kidneys. 

It appears that repeated contact with fuel oils can 

cause skin cancer in mice and may cause liver 

cancer in mice. However, there is some conflicting 

information. Further, the fuel oils were tested only 

on mice. We do not know if fuel oils can cause 

cancer in humans. The International Agency for 

Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that 

residual (heavy) fuel oils and marine diesel fuel are 

possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B 

classification). In addition, IARC considers that 

there is not enough information (Group 3 

classification) available to determine if distillate 

(light) fuel oils or distillate (light) diesel fuels cause 

cancer. They have also determined that 

occupational exposures to fuel oils during 

petroleum refining are probably carcinogenic to 

humans (Group 2A classification). We do not know 

if fuel oils can cause birth defects or if they affect 

reproduction. 

1.6 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO FUEL OILS? 

There is no medical test that shows if you have been 

exposed to fuel oils. There are methods to 

determine if your blood contains some fuel oil 

components such as benzene, toluene, and fuel 

oilsylenes; however, the concentrations of these 

compounds in distilled fuels are so low that if they 

were detected in your blood, it might not indicate 

specific or exclusive exposure to fuel oils. For 

information on tests for measuring exposure to 

some individual components of fuel oils, see the 

ATSDR toxicological profiles on benzene, toluene, 

total fuel oilsylenes, and polycyclic aromatic 

hydrocarbons. 

1.7 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The government has developed regulations and 

guidelines for fuel oils and some of the chemicals in 

them. These are designed to protect the public from 

the possible harmful health effects of these 

chemicals. The Department of Transportation also 

regulates the transportation of fuel oils, because 

they are classified as hazardous materials that are 

considered to pose a risk to health, safety, or 

property when transported. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Fuel Oils 

Division of Toxicology June 1995 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration 

(OSHA) and the Air Force Office of Safety and 

Health (AFOSH) regulate levels of petroleum 

products in the private sector and Air Force 

workplaces, respectively. The maximum allowable 

amount of petroleum products in the workroom air 

during an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek, is 

400 parts of petroleum distillates (naphtha) per 

million parts of air, or more simply stated, 400 ppm. 

1.8 WHERE CAN I GET MORE 

INFORMATION? 

If you have any more questions or concerns, 

please contact your community or state health or 

environmental quality department or: 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology 

1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32 

Atlanta, GA 30333 

Information line and technical assistance: 

Phone: 888-422-8737 

FAX: (770)-488-4178 

ATSDR can also tell you the location of 

occupational and environmental health clinics. 

These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, 

and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to 

hazardous substances. 

To order toxicological profiles, contact: 

National Technical Information Service 

5285 Port Royal Road 

Springfield, VA 22161 

Phone: 800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000 

Reference 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

(ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological profile for fuel oils. 

Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services, Public Health Service. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov