Toxic Substances

Motor vehicle exhaust is a major source of toxic substances in our air. Both gasoline and diesel fuel release toxins when they are burned, even during refuelling. Propane gas, by the way, is non-toxic when inhaled.

The US Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air Act defines “toxic air pollutants” as the aggregate motor vehicle emissions of the following:

• Benzene
• 1,3 Butadiene
• Polycyclic organic matter (POM)
• Acetaldehyde
• Formaldehyde ¹
  

A study conducted by the Argonne National Laboratory and published by the World LP Gas Association, on the air toxics emitted by different fuels during the well-to-wheels fuel cycle, shows the lower levels of these air pollutants produced by propane over both gasoline and diesel.

These substances have been proven to cause the following adverse effects:

• Benzene - a known carcinogen; causes cancer; long-term exposure to high-levels in the air can cause leukemia and cancer of the blood-forming organs; can damage the immune system.³
• 1,3-Butadiene - probable carcinogen (tumours found in animal studies due to exposure); can cause central nervous system damage; causes ear, nose and throat irritation.⁴
• Polycyclic Organic Matter (POM) - probable carcinogen (lung cancer increases in humans exposed to emissions, respiratory tract tumours found in animals from inhalation exposure); respiratory effects from inhalation.⁵
• Acetaldehyde - possible carcinogen; short-term exposure results in eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation; may cause effects on central nervous system; repeated or long-term exposure may cause dermatitis and effect the respiratory tract resulting in tissue lesions.⁶
• Formaldehyde - possible carcinogen (exposure to high levels in the air has resulted in nose cancer in animal studies); causes nose, eye, throat and skin irritation; asthma sufferers may be more sensitive to the effects of inhaled formaldehyde.⁷

Transportation fuels also emit harmful Criteria Air Contaminants, learn more.....

¹ Source: Clean Air Act Title II - Emission Standards for Moving Sources, Part A - Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards, Section 211 http://www.epa.gov/oar/caa/caa211.txt
² Source: World LP Gas Association – LP Gas and Climate Change: Targeting the Switch to Cleaner Fuels,2005, page 28
³ Source: CDC http://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/benzene/basics/facts.asp
⁴ Source: CDC - Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry http://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/prevguid/p0000463/p0000463.asp
⁵ Source: EPA, Air Toxics Website http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/polycycl.html#ref4
⁶ Source: CDC – ATSDR – National Institute for Public Health & Safety - International Chemical Safety Cards http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcsneng/neng0009.html
⁷ Source: CDC - Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts111.html

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