What Is Gasoline?
Gasoline is also known as petrol. It is a liquid obtained from petroleum and used to ignite vehicles and machines that use petrol engines. Gasoline evaporates rapidly and catches fire.
What Is Gasoline Exposure?
External or internal contact with gasoline is gasoline exposure. Exposure to gasoline vapors or ingesting gasoline in liquid form is life-threatening and can cause serious health problems.
Why Is Gasoline Toxic to Human Health?
Gasoline in both liquid and gas forms affects health. It is a hydrocarbon compound (made up of hydrogen and carbon molecules). The hydrocarbons in gasoline are alkanes, alkenes, benzene, toluene, etc. The presence of these hydrocarbons makes gasoline toxic to human health. Hydrocarbons, even in small amounts, are harmful to the body. Once the hydrocarbons enter the blood, it causes organ damage by reducing the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS). Gasoline also causes damage to the eyes, skin, and lungs upon direct contact. Since gasoline is made up of hydrocarbons, several harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide, particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, and other unburned hydrocarbons are released into the atmosphere once burned. Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas that is fatal to a person when inhaled in a large amount over a long period. Hence it is advisable not to burn charcoal or coal in closed areas during the winter season. Machines that function on gasoline should also not operate in closed spaces. Long-time exposure to carbon monoxide gas in open spaces harms the body.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Gasoline Poisoning by Inhalation?
Gasoline inhalation causes lung irritation and is the fastest route through which the hydrocarbon by-products enter the bloodstream and causes damage to the organs. They bind with oxygen and decrease the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, thus damaging the organs. Below are a few of the symptoms associated with gasoline poisoning by inhalation.
- Dizziness.
- Headache.
- Coughing.
- Flushed skin (reddening of the skin).
- Coughing and difficulty in breathing.
- Weakness.
- Blurred vision (difficulty in seeing).
- Slurred speech (slow speech).
- Arrhythmia (abnormal or irregular heartbeat) and heart failure.
- Coma.
What Are the Symptoms of Gasoline Exposure on the Skin?
Skin does not absorb the chemicals present in gasoline. So exposure to a small amount and for a short period is harmless. However, if the skin or clothes on the skin are exposed to gasoline for a few hours, the chemical in the petrol can enter the skin and react with it.
- Burning sensation of the skin and eye.
- Mild irritation of skin and eye.
- Pus-like discharge from the skin.
- Chemical burns.
- Peeling or blistering of the skin.
- Temporary vision loss, eye pain, and watery discharge from the eye.
What Are the Symptoms of Gasoline Ingestion?
The stomach does not absorb gasoline as quickly as the lungs; however, ingesting gasoline has severe consequences and can be fatal. Lung damage can occur while vomiting if the gasoline travels up to the lungs from the stomach. A few symptoms that appear on gasoline ingestion are
- Vomiting and heartburn (discomfort or burning pain in the upper chest).
- Feeling sleepy than usual (drowsiness).
- Bleeding of the internal organs.
- Slow speech.
- Vertigo (spinning sensation)
- Redness of the face
- Weakness.
- Convulsion and loss of consciousness.
- Blurred vision.
- Heart failure.
What Are the Chronic Effects of Gasoline Poisoning?
Chronic gasoline exposure can lead to organ damage, coma, or death. Other symptoms that may be seen in a person due to chronic exposure are irritability, memory loss, seizures and tremors, involuntary limb, and eye movement, loss of appetite, hallucinations, etc. Gradually nerve disorders, muscular degeneration, behavioral changes, brain degeneration, and kidney failure occurs.
What Is the Treatment for Gasoline Poisoning?
No antidote is available for gasoline exposure. Patients should be immediately taken to hospitals as no home remedies for gasoline poisoning are available. Supportive therapy and medication for the heart and lungs to function correctly are provided. If gasoline exposure is suspected, a person should follow a few instructions to reduce the risk of developing serious complications and immediately seek medical help.
- Move to a properly ventilated area and open space.
- One should discard all exposed clothes to gasoline. Then, the body should be thoroughly rinsed with water and soap for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Seek medical attention if there are blisters on the skin or if the skin is flushed and there is skin irritation.
- If the eyes have come in contact with gasoline, rinse the eyes thoroughly with water and seek medical attention.
- In case a person has swallowed gasoline, they should not be encouraged to vomit as gasoline might travel to the lungs along with the vomitus and cause severe damage.
What Is the Prognosis of Gasoline Exposure?
Once the toxins are removed by the body, minor central nervous system (CNS) symptoms that appear disappear. Skin complications do not develop rapidly; hence, if it is immediately washed off the body, they do not appear. However, both chronic and acute gasoline exposure can cause significant health damage. It includes
- Damage to the lungs.
- Loss of vision.
- Damage to the intestines.
- Kidney failure.
- Damage to the mouth, esophagus, and throat.
How Can We Prevent Gasoline Poisoning?
One should avoid places with chances of gasoline fumes, like places where machines run on gasoline or closed spaces with gasoline ignition systems, as seen in winter seasons. Furthermore, people exposed to gasoline due to their occupation should always follow mandatory precautions of wearing protective clothing and masks such that a significant part of the body remains unexposed to the gasoline fumes. Below are the practices mentioned that should be followed while handling and storing gasoline.
- Wear protective clothes and masks.
- Do not stand too close to the exhaust pipes.
- Wash the skin when it comes in contact with the gasoline.
- Keeping it away from the child’s reach.
- Do not sniffle gasoline.
- Do not use gasoline machines in a closed space.
- Regular checks with the doctors to avoid long-term health consequences.
- Immediately seek medical help in case of suspected overdose.
Conclusion
Minimal gasoline exposure is insignificant and does not cause any health problems. However, gasoline in liquid and vapor form is toxic, and acute or chronic exposure to the gasoline can be fatal or result in serious health complications. No home remedies for gasoline exposure are available, and hence medical help should be immediately taken.
