Xylene is rapidly absorbed by the lungs following breathing air containing xylene. Physical exercise increases the amount of xylene absorbed by the lungs. Absorption of xylene after eating food or drinking water containing it is both rapid and complete. Absorption of xylene through the skin also occurs rapidly following direct contact with xylene or exposure to xylene vapors in the air. At hazardous waste sites, breathing xylene vapors, drinking wellwater contaminated with xylene, and direct contact of the skin with xylene are possible ways you can be exposed.
Xylene passes into the blood soon after entering the body.
In humans and laboratory animals, xylene is broken down into other chemicals in the liver and lungs. This process changes most of the xylene that is breathed in or swallowed into a different form. Once xylene has been broken down, the breakdown products rapidly leave the body, mainly in urine but some unchanged xylene also leaves in breath from the lungs. Small amounts of broken down xylene have appeared in urine of humans as soon as 2 hours after breathing air containing xylene. Usually most of the xylene that is taken in leaves the body within 18 hours after exposure ends.