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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

JET FUELS (JP-5 and JP-8)

CAS#: 8008-20-6 

Division of Toxicology August 1998 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for Jet Fuels 

JP-5 and JP-8. 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 the jet 

fuels JP-5 and JP-8 and the effects of exposure. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

identifies the most 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. JP-5 and JP-8 have been 

found in at least 22 of the 1,445 current or former 

NPL sites. However, the total number of NPL sites 

evaluated for this substance is not known. As more 

sites are evaluated, the sites at which JP-5 and JP-8 

are found may increase. This information is 

important because exposure to these substances 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 JP-5 and JP-8, 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 JET FUELS JP-5 AND JP-8? 

Propellants are substances that move other objects 

or give thrust. JP-5 and JP-8 stand for jet 

propellant–5 and jet propellant–8. They are used by 

the military as aircraft fuels. JP-5 is the U.S. Navy's 

primary jet fuel, and JP-8 is one of the jet fuels used 

by the U.S. Air Force. Both JP-5 and JP-8 are 

colorless liquids and smell like kerosene. Kerosene 

is the primary substance in each. Although JP-5 

and JP-8 are liquids at room temperature, they can 

also change into gas vapor. Both JP-5 and JP-8 are 

flammable. JP-5 and JP-8 can be made from 

refining crude petroleum oil deposits found 

underground and under the ocean floor. They can 

also be made from shale oil found in rock. Because 

kerosene (which is also referred to as fuel oil no. 1) 

is the main part of JP-5 and JP-8, the profile 

sometimes uses the word kerosene and other names 

that it can be called instead of the words JP-5 and 

JP-8. In addition to kerosene, both JP-5 and JP-8 

contain various additives according to standards 

specified by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. 

Other common names for JP-5, JP-8, and kerosene 

are these: 

fuel oil no. 1 

straight-run kerosene 

kerosine 

range 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 

JET FUELS (JP-5 and JP-8)

CAS#: 8008-20-6 

Division of Toxicology August 1998 

Deobase (the trade name of a clear, white, 

deodorized kerosene) 

coal oil 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO JET FUELS JP-5 

AND JP-8 WHEN THEY ENTER THE 

ENVIRONMENT? 

JP-5 and JP-8 are made up of many different 

substances. Some of these chemicals easily 

evaporate into the air when jet fuels are spilled 

accidentally onto soils or surface waters (for 

example, streams, rivers, lakes, or oceans). Other 

chemical parts of JP-5 and JP-8 are more likely to 

dissolve in water following spills to surface waters 

or leaks from underground storage tanks. Some of 

the chemicals in jet fuels may slowly move down 

through the soil to the groundwater. Another group 

of chemicals in jet fuels readily attach to particles in 

the soil or water. Once attached in water, these 

particles may sink down into the sediment. The 

chemicals that evaporate may break down into other 

substances in air by reacting with sunlight 

("photooxidize") or other chemicals in the air. The 

chemicals that dissolve in water may also be broken 

down into other substances by living organisms 

(primarily bacteria and fungi) in the soil or water. 

However, this may take many years to occur, 

depending on the environmental conditions. The 

breakdown products of JP-5 and JP-8 are not 

known, so it is not known whether they are toxic. 

Some chemicals that attach to soil or other matter 

(for example, marsh sediment) may remain in the 

environment for more than a decade. Although they 

make up only a tiny fraction of JP-5 and JP-8, 

benzene, toluene, and xylenes (single-ring aromatic 

compounds), as well as polycyclic aromatic 

hydrocarbons, are the components of JP-5 and JP-8 

about which we have the greatest amount of 

information. These substances are toxic to humans. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO JET 

FUELS JP-5 AND JP-8? 

It is unlikely that you will be exposed to JP-5 or JP8 unless you work with jet fuels or live very close to 

where they are used or spilled. Exposure to JP-5 or 

JP-8 can occur if you have skin contact with soil or 

water contaminated from a spill or leak. You may 

also be exposed to JP-5 or JP-8 if you swim in 

waters where jet fuels have been spilled. If jet fuels 

have leaked from underground storage tanks and 

entered underground water, you may drink 

contaminated water from a well containing JP-5 or 

JP-8. You might breathe in some of the chemicals 

evaporating from a spill or leak site if you are in an 

area where an accident has occurred. Exposure to 

some of the components of JP-5 and JP-8 might 

occur from air releases if these components settle to 

the ground near populated areas. There are no data 

on the background levels of JP-5 and JP-8 that may 

be found in the environment. 

Workers involved in making or transporting jet 

fuels or in refueling military aircraft that use JP-5 or 

JP-8 might breathe air containing these substances. 

Some workers may be exposed to JP-5 or JP-8 

through their skin if they come into contact with 

them without adequate protection from gloves, 

boots, coveralls, or other protective clothing. 

1.4 HOW CAN JET FUELS JP-5 AND JP-8 

ENTER AND LEAVE MY BODY? 

JP-5 and JP-8 can enter and leave your body when 

you breathe them in the air, when you drink water 

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 

JET FUELS (JP-5 and JP-8)

CAS#: 8008-20-6 

Division of Toxicology August 1998 

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 a facility where these 

fuels are made or near a military base. When you 

use kerosene or heating oil, you are exposed to 

some of the same substances that are found in JP-5 

and JP-8. We do not know how much of these 

compounds might be taken up by your body if you 

inhale JP-5 and JP-8 vapor, drink contaminated 

water, or come in contact with JP-5 or JP-8. We 

have no information on what happens to these 

chemical mixtures once they enter your body. We 

do know that when animals were exposed to 

kerosene, small amounts were found in their brains, 

lungs, livers, spleens, and kidneys. It is not known 

whether kerosene would be found in these parts of 

the body in similarly exposed people. We do not 

know if JP-5 and JP-8 are broken down and leave 

the body primarily in the urine or the feces. The 

toxicological properties of JP-5 and JP-8 are very 

dependent upon the crude stock and batch lot. 

These compounds are complex and varied mixtures, 

and their composition may affect their toxicity. 

1.5 HOW CAN JET FUELS JP-5 AND JP-8 

AFFECT MY HEALTH? 

We know very little about the human health effects 

caused by JP-5 and JP-8, but some health effects 

might be predicted because of what we know about 

kerosene, the main chemical substance in these jet 

fuel mixtures. Many things will determine if you 

will be harmed by exposure to these substances, 

including how much you were exposed to; how long 

you were exposed; how you came in contact with 

them; and your age, sex, diet, family traits, and 

other factors described in the beginning of this 

section. Breathing in large amounts of JP-5 or JP-8 

vapors or aerosol for a short time would cause you 

to have a suffocating feeling, and breathing would 

be painful. Numerous case studies have reported 

accidental poisoning in children as the result of 

drinking kerosene. Drinking kerosene may cause 

vomiting, diarrhea, swelling of the stomach, 

stomach cramps, drowsiness, restlessness, 

irritability, and loss of consciousness. 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 kerosene or JP-5 vapors can also affect 

your nervous system. Some of the effects that have 

been noted in case studies include headache, 

lightheadedness, anorexia (loss of appetite), poor 

coordination, and difficulty concentrating. 

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 

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 

JET FUELS (JP-5 and JP-8)

CAS#: 8008-20-6 

Division of Toxicology August 1998 

scientists must comply with strict animal care 

guidelines. 

Repeated contact with fuels such as JP-5 and JP-8 

can cause skin cancer in mice. We do not know if 

JP-5 and JP-8 can cause cancer in humans. The 

International Agency for Research on Cancer 

(IARC) has concluded there is not enough 

information available to determine if jet fuels or 

distillate (light) jet fuels cause cancer (Group 3 

classification). However, IARC has determined that 

occupational exposures during petroleum refining 

are probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A 

classification). Exposure during petroleum refining 

includes exposures to substances that are not found 

in JP-5 and JP-8. We do not know if JP-5 or JP-8 

can cause birth defects or if they affect 

reproduction. 

1.6 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO JET FUELS JP-5 AND JP-8? 

No medical test shows if you have been exposed to 

JP-5 or JP-8. Methods are available to determine if 

your blood contains JP-5 and JP-8 components such 

as benzene, toluene, and xylenes. However, the 

concentrations of these chemicals in fuels such as 

JP-5 and JP-8 are very low, and if they were 

detected in your blood it might not necessarily 

indicate that you had been exposed specifically to 

JP-5 and/or JP-8. In this case, it would be helpful 

for your doctor to know whether you might have 

been exposed to other chemicals. For information 

on tests for measuring exposure to individual 

components of JP-5 and JP-8, see the ATSDR 

toxicological profiles on benzene, toluene, xylenes, 

and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. 

1.7 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The federal government develops regulations and 

recommendations to protect public health. 

Regulations can be enforced by law. Federal 

agencies that develop regulations for toxic 

substances include the Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA), 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) 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. Some regulations and 

recommendations for JP-5 and JP-8 include the 

following: 

The Department of Transportation regulates the 

transport of jet fuels such as JP-5 and JP-8 because 

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 

JET FUELS (JP-5 and JP-8)

CAS#: 8008-20-6 

Division of Toxicology August 1998 

they are classified as hazardous materials that are 

considered to pose a risk to health, safety, or 

property when moved. OSHA and the Air Force 

Office of Safety and Health (AFOSH) regulate 

levels of petroleum products in private sector 

workplaces and in Air Force workplaces, 

respectively. The maximum allowable amount of 

petroleum products in workroom air during an 8­

hour workday, 40-hour workweek, is 400 

milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3). ATSDR has 

derived an intermediate-duration inhalation minimal 

risk level (MRL) of 3 mg/m3 for JP-5 and JP-8. An 

MRL is an estimate of daily human exposure to a 

substance over a specific period that is likely to be 

without an appreciable risk of adverse effects 

(noncarcinogenic). 

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). 1998. Toxicological profile for jet fuels 

JP-5 and JP-8. 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