Did you know that crude oil contains benzene, toluene, xylenes, ethylbenzene, trimethylbenzene, hydrogen sulfide, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons?
I found this information on an online material safety data sheet (MSDS) documented by the El Paso Corporation (El Paso). Companies like El Paso that provide fuel such as natural gas, and are involved in pipelines, exploration, and the production of related fuels warn crude oil is an eye and skin irritant, and the inhalation of its fumes can cause dizziness, headaches, unconsciousness, and even death. Acute (short-term) exposure to crude oil can cause dermatitis in humans, and long-term exposure has caused skin tumors to grow on laboratory mice (El Paso, 2007).
Based on a California Proposition 57 Warning outlined in the El Paso MSDS, chemicals found in crude oil are known carcinogens, and can cause birth defects and other reproductive harm. A chemical or substance determined to be a carcinogen can cause cancer in humans and/or laboratory animals.
Material safety data sheets outline an abundance of information about the safe use and storage of chemicals, how to minimize chemical exposures through the use of personal protective equipment, how to respond to chemical exposures, and so forth. You can find material safety data sheets for many chemicals or chemical substances online. So, be informed.
Reference:
El Paso Corporation, Material Safety Data Sheet for Crude Oil, http://www.elpaso.com/msds/A0017-Crude%20Oil.pdf (The MSDS was last revised June 27, 2007).
