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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS 

Division of Toxicology September 1999 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for Total 

Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH). 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 public health statement tells you about total 

petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and the effects of 

exposure. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in 

the nation. These sites make up the National 

Priorities List (NPL) and are the sites targeted for 

long-term federal cleanup activities. TPH, itself, 

has been reported at 34 of the 1,519 current or 

former NPL sites. Many NPL sites are 

contaminated with components of TPH, though no 

estimate has been made of the number of these sites. 

This information is important because exposure to 

these components may harm you and because these 

sites may be sources of exposure. 

When a substance 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. This 

release does not always lead to exposure. You are 

exposed to a substance only when you come in 

contact with it. You may be exposed by breathing, 

eating, or drinking the substance or by skin contact. 

If you are exposed to TPH, many factors determine 

whether you'll be harmed. These factors include the 

dose (how much), the duration (how long), and how 

you come in contact with it. You must also 

consider the other chemicals you're exposed to and 

your age, sex, diet, family traits, lifestyle, and state 

of health. 

1.1 WHAT ARE TOTAL PETROLEUM 

HYDROCARBONS (TPH)? 

Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) is a term used 

to describe a broad family of several hundred 

chemical compounds that originally come from 

crude oil. In this sense, TPH is really a mixture of 

chemicals. They are called hydrocarbons because 

almost all of them are made entirely from hydrogen 

and carbon. Crude oils can vary in how much of 

each chemical they contain, and so can the 

petroleum products that are made from crude oils. 

Most products that contain TPH will burn. Some 

are clear or light-colored liquids that evaporate 

easily, and others are thick, dark liquids or semisolids that do not evaporate. Many of these 

products have characteristic gasoline, kerosene, or 

oily odors. Because modern society uses so many 

petroleum-based products (for example, gasoline, 

kerosene, fuel oil, mineral oil, and asphalt), 

contamination of the environment by them is 

potentially widespread. Contamination caused by 

petroleum products will contain a variety of these 

hydrocarbons. Because there are so many, it is not 

usually practical to measure each one individually. 

However, it is useful to measure the total amount of 

all hydrocarbons found together in a particular 

sample of soil, water, or air. 

The amount of TPH found in a sample is useful as a 

general indicator of petroleum contamination at that 

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 

 TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS 

Division of Toxicology September 1999 

site. However, this TPH measurement or number 

tells us little about how the particular petroleum 

hydrocarbons in the sample may affect people, 

animals, and plants. By dividing TPH into groups 

of petroleum hydrocarbons that act alike in the soil 

or water, scientists can better know what happens to 

them. These groups are called petroleum 

hydrocarbon fractions. Each fraction contains many 

individual compounds. 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO TPH WHEN IT 

ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT? 

TPH is released to the environment through 

accidents, as releases from industries, or as 

byproducts from commercial or private uses. When 

TPH is released directly to water through spills or 

leaks, certain TPH fractions will float in water and 

form thin surface films. Other heavier fractions will 

accumulate in the sediment at the bottom of the 

water, which may affect bottom-feeding fish and 

organisms. Some organisms found in the water 

(primarily bacteria and fungi) may break down 

some of the TPH fractions. TPH released to the soil 

may move through the soil to the groundwater. 

Individual compounds may then separate from the 

original mixture, depending on the chemical 

properties of the compound. Some of these 

compounds will evaporate into the air and others 

will dissolve into the groundwater and move away 

from the release area. Other compounds will attach 

to particles in the soil and may stay in the soil for a 

long period of time, while others will be broken 

down by organisms found in the soil. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO TPH? 

Everyone is exposed to TPH from many sources, 

including gasoline fumes at the pump, spilled 

crankcase oil on pavement, chemicals used at home 

or work, or certain pesticides that contain TPH 

components as solvents. A small amount of lighter 

TPH components are found in the general air you 

breathe. Many occupations involve extracting and 

refining crude oil, manufacturing petroleum and 

other hydrocarbon products, or using these 

products. If you work with petroleum products, you 

may be exposed to higher levels of TPH through 

skin contact or by breathing contaminated air. If 

TPH has leaked from underground storage tanks 

and entered the groundwater, you may drink water 

from a well contaminated with TPH. You may 

breathe in some of the TPH compounds evaporating 

from a spill or leak if you are in the area where an 

accidental release has occurred. Children may be 

exposed by playing in soil contaminated with TPH. 

1.4 HOW CAN TPH ENTER AND LEAVE MY 

BODY? 

TPH can enter and leave your body when you 

breathe it in air; swallow it in water, food, or soil; or 

touch it. Most components of TPH will enter your 

bloodstream rapidly when you breathe them as a 

vapor or mist or when you swallow them. Some 

TPH compounds are widely distributed by the blood 

throughout your body and quickly break down into 

less harmful chemicals. Others may break down 

into more harmful chemicals. Other TPH 

compounds are slowly distributed by the blood to 

other parts of the body and do not readily break 

down. When you touch TPH compounds, they are 

absorbed more slowly and to a lesser extent than 

when you breathe or swallow them. Most TPH 

compounds leave your body through urine or when 

you exhale air containing the compounds. 

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 

 TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS 

Division of Toxicology September 1999 

1.5 HOW CAN TPH AFFECT MY BODY? 

Health effects from exposure to TPH depend on 

many factors. These include the types of chemical 

compounds in the TPH, how long the exposure 

lasts, and the amount of the chemicals contacted. 

Very little is known about the toxicity of many TPH 

compounds. Until more information is available, 

information about health effects of TPH must be 

based on specific compounds or petroleum products 

that have been studied. 

The compounds in different TPH fractions affect 

the body in different ways. Some of the TPH 

compounds, particularly the smaller compounds 

such as benzene, toluene, and xylene (which are 

present in gasoline), can affect the human central 

nervous system. If exposures are high enough, 

death can occur. Breathing toluene at 

concentrations greater than 100 parts per million 

(100 ppm) for more than several hours can cause 

fatigue, headache, nausea, and drowsiness. When 

exposure is stopped, the symptoms will go away. 

However, if someone is exposed for a long time, 

permanent damage to the central nervous system 

can occur. One TPH compound (n-hexane) can 

affect the central nervous system in a different way, 

causing a nerve disorder called "peripheral 

neuropathy" characterized by numbness in the feet 

and legs and, in severe cases, paralysis. This has 

occurred in workers exposed to 500–2,500 ppm of 

n-hexane in the air. Swallowing some petroleum 

products such as gasoline and kerosene causes 

irritation of the throat and stomach, central nervous 

system depression, difficulty breathing, and 

pneumonia from breathing liquid into the lungs. 

The compounds in some TPH fractions can also 

affect the blood, immune system, liver, spleen, 

kidneys, developing fetus, and lungs. Certain TPH 

compounds can be irritating to the skin and eyes. 

Other TPH compounds, such as some mineral oils, 

are not very toxic and are used in foods. 

To protect the public from the harmful effects of 

toxic chemicals and to find ways to treat people 

who have been harmed, scientists use many tests. 

One way to see if a chemical will hurt people is to 

learn how the chemical is absorbed, used, and 

released by the body; for some chemicals, animal 

testing may be necessary. Animal testing may also 

be used to identify health effects such as cancer or 

birth defects. Without laboratory animals, scientists 

would lose a basic method to get information 

needed to make wise decisions to protect public 

health. Scientists have the responsibility to treat 

research animals with care and compassion. Laws 

today protect the welfare of research animals, and 

scientists must comply with strict animal care 

guidelines. Animal studies have shown effects on 

the lungs, central nervous system, liver, kidney, 

developing fetus, and reproductive system from 

exposure to TPH compounds, generally after 

breathing or swallowing the compounds. 

One TPH compound (benzene) has been shown to 

cause cancer (leukemia) in people. The 

International Agency for Research on Cancer 

(IARC) has determined that benzene is carcinogenic 

to humans (Group 1 classification). Some other 

TPH compounds or petroleum products, such as 

benzo(a)pyrene and gasoline, are considered to be 

probably and possibly carcinogenic to humans 

(IARC Groups 2A and 2B, respectively) based on 

cancer studies in people and animals. Most of the 

other TPH compounds and products are considered 

not classifiable (Group 3) by IARC. 

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 

 TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS 

Division of Toxicology September 1999 

1.6 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO TPH? 

There is no medical test that shows if you have been 

exposed to TPH. However, there are methods to 

determine if you have been exposed to some TPH 

compounds, fractions, or petroleum products. For 

example, a breakdown product of n-hexane can be 

measured in the urine. Benzene can be measured in 

exhaled air and a metabolite of benzene, phenol, can 

be measured in urine to show exposure to gasoline 

or to the TPH fraction containing benzene. 

Exposure to kerosene or gasoline can be determined 

by its smell on the breath or clothing. Methods also 

exist to determine if you have been exposed to other 

TPH compounds. For example, ethylbenzene can 

be measured in the blood, urine, breath, and some 

body tissues of exposed people. However, many of 

these tests may not be available in your doctor's 

office. 

If you have TPH compounds in your body, they 

could be from exposure to many different products, 

and tests cannot determine exactly what you were 

exposed to. Tests are useful if you suspect that you 

were exposed to a particular product or waste that 

contains TPH. For information on tests for 

exposure to specific TPH compounds, see the 

ATSDR toxicological profiles for benzene, toluene, 

total TPHsylenes, polycyclic aromatic 

hydrocarbons, and hexane. 

1.7 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The federal government develops regulations and 

guidelines to protect public health. Regulations can 

be enforced by law. Federal agencies that develop 

regulations for toxic substances include the EPA, 

the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission), the 

Occupational Safety and Health Administration 

(OSHA), and the Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA). Recommendations provide valuable 

guidelines to protect public health but cannot be 

enforced by law. Federal organizations that develop 

recommendations for toxic substances include the 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

(ATSDR), Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). 

Regulations and recommendations can be expressed 

in not-to-exceed levels in air, water, soil, or food 

that are usually based on levels that affect animals. 

Then they are adjusted to help protect people. 

Sometimes these not-to-exceed levels differ among 

federal organizations because of different exposure 

times (an 8-hour workday or a 24-hour day), the use 

of different animal studies, or other factors. 

Recommendations and regulations are also 

periodically updated as more information becomes 

available. For the most current information, check 

with the federal agency or organization that 

provides it. 

Although there are no federal regulations or 

guidelines for TPH in general, the government has 

developed regulations and guidelines for some of 

the TPH fractions and compounds. These are 

designed to protect the public from the possible 

harmful health effects of these chemicals. To 

protect workers, the Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA) has set a legal limit of 500 

parts of petroleum distillates per million parts of air 

(500 ppm) in the workplace. 

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 

 TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS 

Division of Toxicology September 1999 

EPA regulates certain TPH fractions, products, or 

wastes containing TPH, as well as some individual 

TPH compounds. For example, there are 

regulations for TPH as oil; these regulations address 

oil pollution prevention and spill response, 

stormwater discharge, and underground injection 

control. EPA lists certain wastes containing TPH as 

hazardous. EPA also requires that the National 

Response Center be notified following a discharge 

or spill into the environment of 10 pounds or more 

of hazardous wastes containing benzene, a 

component in some TPH mixtures. 

Nearly all states have cleanup standards for TPH or 

components of TPH (common cleanup standards are 

for gasoline, diesel fuel, and waste oil). Analytical 

methods are specified, many of which are 

considered to be TPH methods. 

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). 1999. Toxicological profile for total 

petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). 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