DEATH BY TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON

THE FOLLOWING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR RESIDENTS OF THE GULF AREA AS WELL AS CLEANUP PERSONNEL. READ THE LINKS ALSO. TAKE CARE! BP’S POISONS CAN EASILY KILL.

“The compounds in different TPH fractions affect the body in different ways.  Some of the TPH compounds, particularly the smaller compounds such as benzene, toluene, and xylene (which are present in gasoline), can affect the human central nervous system.  If exposures are high enough, death can occur.  Breathing toluene at concentrations greater than 100 parts per million (100 ppm) for more than several hours can cause fatigue, headache, nausea, and drowsiness. When exposure is stopped, the symptoms will go away.  However, if someone is exposed for a long time, permanent damage to the central nervous system can occur.  One TPH compound (n-hexane) can affect the central nervous system in a different way, causing a nerve disorder called “peripheral neuropathy” characterized by numbness in the feet and legs and, in severe cases, paralysis. This has occurred in workers exposed to 500–2,500 ppm of n-hexane in the air.  Swallowing some petroleum products, such as gasoline and kerosene, causes irritation of the throat and stomach, central nervous system depression, difficulty breathing, and pneumonia from breathing liquid into the lungs.  The compounds in some TPH fractions can also affect the blood, immune system, liver, spleen, kidneys, developing fetus, and lungs.  Certain TPH compounds can be irritating to the skin and eyes.”

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