January 2007
Benzene in Mineral Spirits
Our Challenge
- We assessed the historical exposures to benzene of railroad workers from the 1970’s that might have been experienced due to their use of mineral spirits
Our Approach
- Performed a simulation study of cleaning a locomotive generator and traction motor
- Characterized the airborne solvent concentrations
Our Findings
- These cleaning events did not pose a benzene-associated risk, but may have produced short-term air concentrations of mineral spirits that could pose an acute risk and significant irritation to an unprotected worker.
- Results were presented in a published paper [Madl, A., and Paustenbach, D. 2002. Airborne Concentrations of Benzene and Mineral Spirits (Stoddard Solvent) During Cleaning of a Locomotive Generator and Traction Motor. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 65: 1965-1979]