I was working on my car and inhaled some dried oil/road dirt that was black and powdery should I be concerned about my health? i feel fine what symptoms should i look for, do i need to be concerned with cancer?
Answers (2)
Exposure Pathways
· When you change the engine oil in your car
· Breathing a small amount of the chemicals from the oil in exhaust fumes or from burning the oil as heating fuel
· Touching contaminated soil or drinking contaminated water
Health Effects
The health effects of used mineral-based crankcase oil vary depending on the brand and type of oil used and the characteristics of the engine it came from. Mechanics and other auto workers who are exposed to used mineral-based crankcase oil from a large number of cars have experienced skin rashes, blood effects (anemia), and headaches and tremors. However, these workers are also exposed to other chemicals, which may have caused these health effects.
Volunteers who breathed mists of used mineral-based crankcase oil for a few minutes had slightly irritated noses, throats, and eyes. Animals that ate large amounts of this oil developed diarrhea. Thus, people who swallow used mineral-based crankcase oil may also have diarrhea. Some cows that ate used oil containing metals such as molybdenum and lead in contaminated pastures experienced anemia and tremors. Some of the cows died. We do not know if exposure to used mineral-based crankcase oil affects the reproductive ability of men or women or whether it causes birth defects.
Long-term exposure (365 days or longer) of the skin to used mineral-based crankcase oil causes skin cancer in mice. PAHs in the oil have been identified as the cancer-causing agents because some PAHs are known to cause cancer and because the carcinogenicity of various batches of the used oil increased with increasing amounts of PAHs in the oil. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the EPA have not classified used mineral-based crankcase oil with regard to its carcinogenicity in people.
Information excerpted from:
Toxicological Profile for Used Mineral-Based Crankcase Oil 1996 Updat
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
e
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Eco-USA