Potential health effects of gasoline and its constituents: A review of current literature (1990-1997) on toxicological data.

Abstract

We reviewed toxicological studies, both experimental and epidemiological, that appeared in international literature in the period 1990-1997 and included both leaded and unleaded gasolines as well as their components and additives. The aim of this overview was to select, arrange, and present references of scientific papers published during the period under consideration and to summarize the data in order to give a comprehensive picture of the results of toxicological studies performed in laboratory animals (including carcinogenic, teratogenic, or embryotoxic activity), mutagenicity and genotoxic aspects in mammalian and bacterial systems, and epidemiological results obtained in humans in relation to gasoline exposure. This paper draws attention to the inherent difficulties in assessing with precision any potential adverse effects on health, that is, the risk of possible damage to man and his environment from gasoline. The difficulty of risk assessment still exists despite the fact that the studies examined are definitely more technically valid than those of earlier years. The uncertainty in overall risk determination from gasoline exposure also derives from the conflicting results of different studies, from the lack of a correct scientific approach in some studies, from the variable characteristics of the different gasoline mixtures, and from the difficulties of correctly handling potentially confounding variables related to lifestyle (e.g., cigarette smoking, drug use) or to preexisting pathological conditions. In this respect, this paper highlights the need for accurately assessing the conclusive explanations reported in scientific papers so as to avoid the spread of inaccurate or misleading information on gasoline toxicity in nonscientific papers and in mass-media messages.

A review of the combustion and emissions properties of advanced transportation biofuels and their impact on existing and future engines

“…Such fuels can be used if they undergo processing to branch and isomerize the fuels [94,223], or through blending with ethanol or other ignition retarding additives, such as methyl tertbutyl ether (MTBE) [85,126]. Use of MTBE is known to cause groundwater contamination due to its high water solubility and has been associated with negative health impacts [159], although the toxicity risk of MTBE is not entirely clear [224][225][226][227][228]. Ethanol or butanol make good octane-improving additives to replace MTBE due to the fact that ethanol, while water soluble, is relatively nontoxic and butanol has low water solubility.…”

A Porous Framework as a Variable Chemosensor: From the Response of a Specific Carcinogenic Alkyl‐Aromatic to Selective Detection of Explosive Nitroaromatics

“…[1] For example, alkyl-aromaticsa sc olorless and highly volatile liquids are harmful to the skin and can cause headaches, nausea,a nd even pneumonia and cancer. [1] For example, alkyl-aromaticsa sc olorless and highly volatile liquids are harmful to the skin and can cause headaches, nausea,a nd even pneumonia and cancer.…”

Acute embryo toxicity and teratogenicity of three potential biofuels also used as flavor or solvent

“…Regarding the oil loading for both fuels that did not induce adverse effects in zebrafish embryos (100 g/ L) the acute fish embryo toxicity of EL exceeds the toxicity of the fuel it might be added to. Beside WAFs of fossil fuels, oil dispersions in water, the vapor phase, aerosol phase or combustion products of fossil fuels might significantly affect environmental and human health (Caprino and Togna, 1998;Sydbom et al, 2001;Ritchie et al, 2003;Ris, 2007;Schein et al, 2009;Prasad and Bella, 2011;Ristovski et al, 2012). However, environmental impacts of dispersion, the mentioned fuel phases or combustion products were not part of this study.…”