title: The mammalian toxicological hazards of petroleum-derived substances: an overview of the petroleum industry response to the high production volume challenge program.
abstract: Petroleum-derived substances are complex and composed of aliphatic (normal-, iso-, and cycloparaffins), olefinic, and/or aromatic constituents. Approximately 400 of these complex substances were evaluated as part of the US Environmental Protection Agency voluntary High Production Volume (HPV) Challenge program. The substances were separated into 13 groups (categories), and all available data were assessed. Toxicology testing was conducted as necessary to fully address the end points encompassed by the HPV initiative. In a broad sense, volatile hydrocarbons may cause acute central nervous system effects, and those that are liquids at room temperature pose aspiration hazards if taken into the lungs as liquids and may also cause skin irritation. Higher boiling substances may contain polycyclic aromatic constituents (PACs) that can be mutagenic and carcinogenic and may also cause developmental effects. Substances containing PACs can also cause target organ and developmental effects. The effects of aliphatic constituents include liver enlargement and/or renal effects in male rats via an α-2u-globulin-mediated process and, in some cases, small but statistically significant reductions in hematological parameters. Crude oils may contain other constituents, particularly sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds, which are removed during refining. Aside from these more generic considerations, some specific petroleum substances may contain unusually toxic constituents including benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and/or n-hexane, which should also be taken into account if present at toxicologically relevant levels.
authors.affiliation: ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Inc, 1545 US Highway 22 East, Annandale, NJ 08801, USA. Email: richard.h.mckee@exxonmobil.com.
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: McKee
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D002070:Butadienes / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D006586:Hexanes / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency
chemical_list: D002070:Butadienes; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D006586:Hexanes; D010578:Petroleum; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; C026385:n-hexane; D001554:Benzene; C031763:1,3-butadiene
keywords: HPV program; UVCB; complex substances; petroleum products