They are clear liquids with a sweet odor. The greatest use of xylenes is as a solvent which is much safer than benzene. Production of xylenes was 6.84 billion lbs. in 1993. Major environmental releases of xylenes are due to evaporation from the refining and use of petroleum products. It may also be released by leaks or spills during the transport and storage of gasoline and other fuels.
Xylenes are a natural products of many plants, and are a component of petroleum and coal tar.
From 1987 to 1993, according to EPA's Toxic Chemical Release Inventory, xylene releases to land and water totalled nearly 4.8 billion lbs. These releases were primarily from petroleum refining industries. The largest releases occurred in Texas. The largest direct releases to water occurred in New Jersey and Georgia. Most of the xylenes are released into the atmosphere where they are quickly degraded by sunlight.