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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Used Mineral-based Crankcase Oil 

CAS#: 8002-05-9 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for Used 

Mineral-based Crankcase Oil. 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 used mineral-based crankcase oil 

and to emphasize the human health effects that may 

result from exposure to it. The Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) identifies the most serious 

waste sites in the nation. sites make up the National 

Priorities List (NPL) and are the sites targeted for 

long-term federal cleanup activities. Used mineralbased crankcase oil has been found in at least 85 of 

1,430 current or former NPL sites. However, the 

total number of NPL sites evaluated is not known. 

As more sites are evaluated, the number of sites at 

which used mineral-based crankcase oil is found 

may increase. This information is important because 

exposure to used mineral-based crankcase oil may 

cause harmful health effects and because these sites 

are potential or actual sources of human exposure to 

used mineral-based crankcase oil. 

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 can 

be exposed to a substance only when you come in 

contact with it. You may be exposed by breathing, 

eating, or drinking substances containing the 

substance or by skin contact with it. 

If you are exposed to a substance such as used 

mineral-based crankcase oil, many 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, gender, 

nutritional status, family traits, life-style, and state 

of health. 

1.1 WHAT IS USED MINERAL-BASED 

CRANKCASE OIL? 

Used mineral-based crankcase oil is another name 

for used motor oil or used engine oil. It is the 

brown-to-black, oily liquid removed from the 

engine of a motor vehicle when the oil is changed. 

Used mineral-based crankcase oil is similar to 

unused oil except that it contains additional 

chemicals that are produced or that build up in the 

oil when it is used as an engine lubricant. Used 

mineral-based crankcase oil has many of the 

characteristics of unused oil. It smells like unused 

oil and contains the chemicals found in unused oil. 

These include straight chain (aliphatic) 

hydrocarbons and aromatic or polycyclic aromatic 

hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are distilled from 

crude oil, and various additives that improve the 

performance of the oil in the engine. Aliphatic 

hydrocarbons are defined as molecules with carbon 

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 

Used Mineral-based Crankcase Oil 

CAS#: 8002-05-0 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

atoms in simple or branched chains. Aromatic 

hydrocarbons are compounds with unsaturated 

carbons in six-membered rings and with properties 

similar to benzene. PAHs are complex organic 

compounds containing three or more aromatic rings. 

In addition to the chemicals found in unused oil, 

used mineral-based crankcase oil contains 

chemicals that are formed when the oil is exposed 

to the high temperatures and pressures inside an 

engine as it runs. It also contains metals such as 

aluminum, chromium, copper, iron, lead, 

manganese, nickel, silicon, and tin, that come from 

engine parts as they wear down. In addition, used 

mineral-based crankcase oil contains small amounts 

of water, gasoline, antifreeze, and chemicals that 

come from gasoline when it burns inside the engine. 

The chemicals found in used mineral-based 

crankcase oil vary depending on the brand(s) and 

type of engine oil used, whether gasoline or diesel 

fuel was used, the mechanical condition of the 

engine that the oil came from, the various sources of 

used mineral-based crankcase oil (e.g., automobiles, 

airplanes, trains, ships, tractors, lawn mowers), and 

the number of miles driven between oil changes. 

Used mineral-based crankcase oil is not naturally 

found in the environment, but most of the chemicals 

found in the oil do occur naturally. 

A large amount of used mineral-based crankcase oil 

is generated each year when motor oil is changed. It 

is usually discarded into the environment or 

recycled, but some other uses for it exist. Some 

industries mix used mineral-based crankcase oil 

with other oils to produce cutting oils or other 

lubricating oils. Used mineral-based crankcase oil 

can also be burned. It burns at about 300-400°C, 

depending on the mixture of chemicals in the used 

mineral-based crankcase oil. It has been used as a 

fuel in oil burners in homes, as well as in industrial 

steam boilers, municipal incinerators, and rotary 

cement kilns. It is also used in producing asphalt. In 

the past, used mineral-based crankcase oil was also 

used on dirt roads to control dust. However, most 

states currently restrict this use. 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO USED MINERALBASED CRANKCASE OIL WHEN IT 

ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT? 

Some used mineral-based crankcase oil enters the 

air through the exhaust system during engine use. 

Used mineral-based crankcase oil may also enter 

the water or soil when it is disposed of improperly, 

for example, when it is poured into sewers or 

directly onto the ground. It may also enter the 

environment as a result of disposal in landfills, 

engine oil leaks, automobile or truck exhaust, and 

application onto rural roads for dust control. Some 

chemicals found in used mineral-based crankcase 

oil may be released into the air when it is used as a 

fuel in boilers, incinerators, and cement kilns. The 

movement in the environment of the chemicals 

found in used mineral-based crankcase oil depends 

on their individual properties. The hydrocarbon 

components of the oil generally stick to the soil 

surface and do not move through the soil. If oil is 

spilled, some hydrocarbons evaporate into the air 

very quickly, and others evaporate more slowly. 

Hydrocarbons that do not evaporate may stay in the 

soil for a long time because they do not dissolve in 

water and do not generally break down. 

Hydrocarbon components of the oil that enter 

surface water bind to small particles in the water. 

They eventually settle to the bottom where they can 

stay for many years. These hydrocarbons may build 

up in shellfish or other organisms. Some metals in 

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 

Used Mineral-based Crankcase Oil 

CAS#: 8002-05-0 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

used mineral-based crankcase oil dissolve in water 

and move through the soil easily and may be found 

in surface water and groundwater. Groundwater 

flows slowly underground and then drains into 

surface waters such as marshes and lakes. Most 

metals found in used mineral-based crankcase oil 

stay in the environment for a long time. Thus, 

metals from used oils can build up in plants, 

animals, soil, sediments, and non-flowing surface 

water. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO USED 

MINERAL-BASED CRANKCASE OIL? 

You are most likely to be exposed to used mineralbased crankcase oil when you change the engine oil 

in your car. A small amount of the chemicals in 

exhaust fumes comes from used mineral-based 

crankcase oil. Therefore, you may be exposed to 

used mineral-based crankcase oil when you breathe 

in exhaust fumes. You may also be exposed to used 

mineral-based crankcase oil when it is used to 

control dust on rural roads. The waste crankcase oil 

used for road oiling comes from service stations or 

fleet shops. It is mixed with industrial oils which 

contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 

chlorodibenzo dioxins (CDDs), and chlorodibenzo 

furans (CDFs) which are bad for your health. You 

may be exposed to these compounds when you 

breathe in these compounds as wind-blown dust. 

However, most states currently either prohibit or 

restrict its use for that purpose. Most people are 

exposed to very low levels of used mineral-based 

crankcase oil. People who live or work in the 

vicinity of an active or inactive recycling facility 

that recycles used mineral-based crankcase oil may 

either breathe fumes found near the facility or come 

in contact with contaminated soil, sludge, or 

sediment. People who work or live in or near 

buildings where used mineral-based crankcase oil is 

burned for heating fuel may breathe high levels of 

metal particles and PAHs. 

People who live near landfills can also be exposed 

to used mineral-based crankcase oil. A common 

practice of people who change the oil in their own 

vehicles (or do-it- yourselfers) is to dump it together 

with other household wastes, which usually end up 

in landfills. The waste oil can then enter the 

environment and may contaminate crops, farm 

animals, or fish and shellfish. If you eat the 

contaminated food, you may be exposed to the 

hydrocarbons and heavy metals present in the waste 

oil. You may also be exposed to used mineral-based 

crankcase oil by accidental spills during transport. 

However, since very small amounts are transported, 

the environmental impact of spilled used oil is 

limited. 

There is very little information on the levels of 

chemicals in the environment resulting from 

releases of used mineral-based crankcase oil. Used 

mineral-based crankcase oil is a source of 

hydrocarbons in storm runoff from bridges, rivers, 

streams, and deep as well as surface sediments. 

However, in several studies, used mineral-based 

crankcase oil may be only one of many sources of 

the environmental contamination. Such studies have 

shown increased levels of various components of 

used mineral-based crankcase oil in dust, surface 

water, storm runoff, and roadside soil in industrial, 

commercial, and residential areas and near 

highways. Heavy metals, possibly from used 

crankcase oil sources and from motor vehicle 

exhausts, have been found in the soil near 

extensively traveled roads and highways. Surface 

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 

Used Mineral-based Crankcase Oil 

CAS#: 8002-05-0 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

water samples taken from ponds at an NPL site that 

was a recycling facility for used mineral-based 

crankcase oil and other used petroleum products 

were found to contain chromium, lead, and xylene, 

respectively. 

1.4 HOW CAN USED MINERAL-BASED 

CRANKCASE OIL ENTER AND LEAVE 

MY BODY? 

Used mineral-based crankcase oil is a mixture of 

several different chemicals. Whether the chemicals 

in used mineral-based crankcase oil are taken up, 

stored in, or excreted by the body after exposure 

depends on the individual properties of the 

chemicals in the oil. Studies of cattle that 

swallowed used mineral-based crankcase oil 

showed that lead and other metals in the oil are 

absorbed and distributed to various tissues, such as 

the liver and kidneys. Studies in mice showed that 

the PAHs that build up in used mineral-based 

crankcase oil are absorbed when used mineral-based 

crankcase oil is applied to the skin. A study in rats 

showed that used mineral-based crankcase oil that is 

swallowed is eliminated in the feces. Medicinalgrade mineral oil is also eliminated rapidly from the 

body in the feces. Thus, it is likely that the 

chemicals that are in both medicinal-grade mineral 

oil and used mineral-based crankcase oil are 

eliminated rapidly in the feces, but we do not know 

the timeframe for elimination from the body of 

other chemicals found in used mineral-based 

crankcase oil. We also do not know whether other 

routes of elimination exist. Additional information 

on the movement of the individual chemicals into, 

through, and from the body can be found in the 

toxicological profiles for those chemicals. 

1.5 HOW CAN USED MINERAL-BASED 

CRANKCASE OIL AFFECT MY 

HEALTH? 

The health effects of exposure to used mineralbased crankcase oil vary depending on the 

properties of the chemicals found in the oil. Each 

brand of oil contains slightly different mixtures of 

oils and additives. Also, the characteristics of the 

engine in which the oil is used affect its final 

composition. Thus, effects experienced after 

exposure to one batch of used mineral-based 

crankcase oil may not be the same after exposure to 

another batch. Mechanics and other auto workers 

who are exposed to used mineral-based crankcase 

oil from a large number of motor vehicles have 

experienced effects on the skin (rashes), blood 

(anemia), and nervous system (headaches and 

tremors). However, these workers are also exposed 

to a large number of other chemicals in the 

workplace. Exposures to some of these other 

substances are known to cause rashes, anemia, 

headaches, and tremors. Therefore, it is possible 

that the effects the workers experienced may have 

been caused by chemicals from sources other than 

used mineral-based crankcase oil. 

Volunteers who breathed mists of used mineralbased crankcase oil for a few minutes had slightly 

irritated noses and throats, and the mists were 

irritating to the eyes of some people. Animals that 

ate large amounts of used mineral-based crankcase 

oil developed diarrhea. Thus, people who swallow 

used mineral-based crankcase oil may also have 

diarrhea. Some cows that ate used oil containing 

metals such as molybdenum and lead in 

contaminated pastures experienced harmful effects 

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 

Used Mineral-based Crankcase Oil 

CAS#: 8002-05-0 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

on the blood, such as anemia, and on the nervous 

system, such as tremors. Some of the cows died. 

There is a possibility that anemia and tremors may 

occur in people exposed to used mineral-based 

crankcase oil. Used mineral-based crankcase oil 

was only slightly irritating to the skin of rabbits, 

guinea pigs, and mice. We do not know if exposure 

to used mineral-based crankcase oil affects the 

reproductive ability of men or women or whether it 

causes birth defects. 

Long-term exposure of the skin to used mineralbased crankcase oil causes skin cancer in mice. 

PAHs in the oil have been identified as the cancercausing agents because some PAHs are known to 

cause cancer and because the carcinogenicity of 

various batches of the used oil increased with 

increasing amounts of PAHs in the oil. The 

Department of Health and Human Services, the 

International Agency for Research on Cancer 

(IARC), and EPA have not classified used mineralbased crankcase oil with regard to its 

carcinogenicity in people. 

The health effects of many of the individual 

chemicals found in used mineral-based crankcase 

oil (PAHs, lead, zinc, cadmium, copper, chromium, 

nickel, barium, boron, manganese, tin, and 

aluminum) are discussed in the toxicological 

profiles for those chemicals. 

1.6 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO USED MINERAL-BASED 

CRANKCASE OIL? 

Used mineral-based crankcase oil is a mixture of a 

large number of chemicals. Its composition depends 

on the brand of oil and the characteristics of the 

engine in which it was used. Therefore, no one 

medical test will show if you have been exposed to 

used mineral-based crankcase oil. However, there 

are methods for determining if you have been 

exposed to some of the chemicals in used mineralbased crankcase oil. These include testing for the 

presence of metals such as lead or molybdenum in 

your blood, or testing for deoxyribonucleic acid 

(DNA) adducts (chemical addition products) with 

PAHs in your skin cells. These tests are not part of 

routine medical examinations. However, your 

doctor can collect blood or tissue samples and send 

them to most university medical centers or medical 

laboratories for analysis. It should be noted that 

molybdenum and PAHs are common environmental 

contaminants and elevated levels of these materials 

may be the result of exposures to materials not 

associated with used mineral-based crankcase oil. 

Also, testing for exposure to specific chemicals in 

the oil cannot be used to find out exactly how much 

used mineral-based crankcase oil you have been 

exposed to. However, the testing is very useful 

because the amounts of individual chemicals 

identified can be used to determine the health 

effects that you may experience. Health 

professionals with expertise in occupational 

medicine or industrial hygiene should be able to 

identify chemicals that may have been in the oil and 

recommend tests for those chemicals. Some of the 

tests for specific chemicals provide information 

about previous exposure levels and about whether 

harmful health effects may occur. For more 

information on the tests available for specific 

chemical components of used mineral-based 

crankcase oil, please refer to the toxicological 

profiles for those chemicals. 

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 

Used Mineral-based Crankcase Oil 

CAS#: 8002-05-0 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

1.7 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

Regulations for used mineral-based crankcase oil 

are still being created and revised. Thus, federal 

guidelines or standards for inhalation, drinking 

water, food, or dermal exposure to used mineralbased crankcase oil are not yet available. However, 

the EPA and most states have developed regulations 

regarding disposal of used oil, its recycling, 

spraying used oil onto road surfaces for dust 

control, or burning it as a fuel. 

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). 1997. Toxicological profile for used 

mineral-based crankcase oil. 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