Xylene Surveillance

The term xylene or xylol refers to a mixture of three aromatic hydrocarbon isomers which is used as a solvent in the printing, rubber, and leather industries. It is also used as a cleaning agent for steel and for silicon wafers and chips and is also used as a thinner for paint. It may be substituted for toluene to thin lacquers where slower drying is desired. It is found in small amounts in airplane fuel and gasoline.

Xylene exhibits neurological effects.

High levels from exposure for acute (14 days or less) or chronic periods of more than a year can cause headaches, lack of muscle coordination, dizziness, confusion, and changes in one’s sense of balance. Exposure of people to high levels of xylene for short periods can also cause irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, and throat, difficulty in breathing and other problems with the lungs, delayed reaction time, memory difficulties, stomach discomfort, and possibly adverse effects on the liver and kidneys. It can cause unconsciousness and even death at very high levels. Xylene or products containing Xylene should not be used indoors or around food.

The principal pathway of human contact is via soil contamination from leaking underground storage tanks containing petroleum products. Humans who come into contact with the soil or groundwater may become affected.

Xylene may affect the health of workers if it’s in a form that may be inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin. Occupations such as construction/soil remediation workers, crude oil refineries, automotive and other metal working industries are susceptible to danger from exposure to trichloroethylene.