Agent Name
Oil mist, mineral
Major Category
Other Classes
Synonyms
Adepsine oil; Alboline; BVM 100N; Balneol; Bayol 55; Bayol F; Biobase 300; Blandlube; Caloria HT 43; Cantenex SM 925; Carnation 70; Catenex 956; Catenex OR; Catenex P 491; Catenex P 941; Citgo 340 Neutral; Clenvex AS 58; Coker gatch oil; Conosol C 200; Crystol 325; Crystosol; Drakeol; Flexon 845; Fonoline; Glymol; Heavy liquid petrolatum; Heavy mineral oil; Irgawax 361; Jute batching oil; Kaydol; Kondremul; Liquid paraffin; Liquid petrolatum; Liquid vaseline; MagieSol 44; Mineral oil; Mineral oil (saturated parrafin oil); Mineral oil hydrocarbon solvent (petroleum); Mineral oil, heavy; Mineral oil, pale; Mineral oils; Mineral seal oil; Molol; Neo-Cultol; Nujol; Oil,mineral; Paraffin oil; Paraffin oils; Paraffin, liquid; Paraffinic mineral oil; Paraffinic oil; Paraffins; Parol; Paroleine; Peneteck; Penreco; Perfecta; Petrogalar; Petrolatum, liq; Petrolatum, liquid; Primol 355; Primol D; Protopet; Saxol; Shellflex 371N; Sunpar 150; Tech Pet F; USP mineral oil; Ultrol 7; Uvasol; [ChemIDplus]
Category
Other Organic Compounds
Description
Colorless, oily liquid aerosol dispersed in air. [Note: Has an odor like burned lubricating oil.]; [NIOSH]
Sources/Uses
There are 3 classes of metalworking fluids (MWF). Mineral oil mist is in the first type of straight oils without added water. The other 2 types are soluble/semi-synthetic and synthetic with no added oil. MWFs are described as either "neat" as supplied by the vendor or "in-use." In-use MWFs contain biocides as well as metal and microbial contaminants not present in the neat products. [Rosenstock, p. 1043-54] Carcinogens include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in straight and soluble MWFs and nitrosamines in synthetic and soluble MWFs. Biocides were added to synthetic and soluble MWFs. [
PMID 21328414] See "Metalworking fluids and cancer mortality in a US autoworker cohort (1941-2015)." [
PMID 32406514]
Comments
Since the 1960s, the use of oil-based metalworking fluids (MWFs) has declined with increasing substitution of emulsified and synthetic fluids. [Burgess, p. 147] Asthma reported in toolsetters; [Malo] The cause of "Metalworking Fluids HP," one type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, is microbially contaminated, water-based metalworking fluids used by machinists, and the antigens are probably Mycobacteria chelonae or fungi. "In conclusion, the large number of case reports, the cancer incidence study, and the case-control study suggest that primarily straight MWF exposure is associated with an increased risk for skin and scrotal cancer." [Occupational Exposure to Metalworking Fluids, NIOSH] When looking at mineral oil (excluding metal working fluids), there are two types: 1) Pure, highly and severely refined (not classifiable as a human carcinogen) and 2) Poorly and mildly refined (suspected human carcinogen due to the presence of PAHs); No TLV for #2, but should be carefully controlled to levels as low as possible; [ACGIH] Preservatives used in MWFs include: Dowicil 75, Tris Nitro, Grotan BK, Triadine-10, Onyxide-200, Vancide TH, Myacide BT. [Marks, p. 89] See the Disease "Metalworking fluids HP" and the Process "Metal Machining." See "Mineral oils, untreated and mildly treated" and "Mineral oil, pure, highly and severely refined."
Skin Designation (ACGIH)
Insufficient data
Excerpts from Documentation for IDLHs
Basis for revised IDLH: The available toxicological data contain no evidence that an acute exposure to a high concentration of oil mist (mineral) would impede escape or cause any irreversible health effects within 30 minutes.
Lethal Concentration
LC50 (rat) = 2,062 ppm/4h
Explanatory Notes
For MWF aerosols, NIOSH REL = 0.5 (Total particulate mass) or 0.4 (Thoracic particulate mass); [p. 1, Pub # 98-102] In 2010, ACGIH withdrew the TLV for "oil mist, mineral" and adopted TLVs for "Mineral oil, excluding metal working fluids."
Diseases
Occupational diseases associated with exposure to this agent:
Processes
Industrial Processes with risk of exposure: