Petroleum Jelly-Murray/Smith

Petroleum Jelly

Petroleum jelly is a mixture of hydrocarbons, which are the simplest organic compounds made up of only carbon and hydrogen (Smith, 2011). The generalized formula for hydrocarbons is Cn H2n+2 (Weisstein, 2007). It is often mixed with mineral oils, parraffin and microcrystalline waxes to create Vaseline ("Vaseline petroleum jelly", 2011). It's colour ranges from yellowish-white to white. It is semi-solid at room temperature and stable under normal conditions (Tailford, 2007).

When hydrogen (left) and carbon (right)combine, they create hydrocarbons.
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/pictures/chemistry/hydrogenatom.html
http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2008/06/23/a-better-way-to-make-carbon-pay/carbon-atom/

Physical Properties

• Viscosity: very viscous (Smith, 2011)



• State: semi-solid at room temperature (Tailford, 2007)



• Clarity: translucent-opaque depending on additives (Tailford, 2007)
  


• Odour: odourless when properly refined (Smith, 2011)



• Taste: tasteless when properly refined (Smith, 2011)



• Density: between 0.79 and 0.85 (Tailford, 2007)



• Melting Point: 38 degrees celsius (Tailford, 2007)

Chemical Properties

• Stability: stable under normal conditions (Tailford, 2007)



• Combustibility: slightly combustible (Tailford, 2007)



• Reactivity: reacts with strong oxidising substances (Tailford, 2007)

Products Petroleum Jelly is Found in and Common Uses

• commonly known as Vaseline ("Vaseline petroleum jelly", 2011)


http://vaseline.com/Product.aspx?Path=Consumer/OurProducts/Petroleumjelly








http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yptlLH36Mkw&feature=related





• used in many personal care products such as hand cream, mosturizer and lip chap(Smith, 2011)




Lip Gloss Hand Cream http://www.curel.ca/en/products/index.aspx http://www.bathandbodyshop.co.uk/Shop/Bath-AND-Body-Works/Liplicious-Lip-Shines/1171-Bath-AND-Body-Works-Liplicious-Lip-Gloss-Cranberry-Cocktail-14ml.html







• used on cuts, burns, scrapes ect. (Smith, 2011)









• doesn't heal the wounds, but it keeps wounds clean by sealing them off (Smith, 2011)
  
  


• used as a lubricant (baseball players use it so the ball will slide off their hand)









• sometimes put on teeth, to stop lipstick from sticking to one's teeth

Dangers

• Inhalation: In large quantities, vapours may irritate throat and respiratory system and cause coughing. Inhalation could also cause pneunomia, and interfere with the nose's ability to filter air. (Tailford, 2007)



• Ingestion: May cause discomfort, such as stomach aches, if swallowed. (Tailford, 2007)



• Skin contact: Liquid form may irritate skin. (Tailford, 2007)
  


• Eye contact: Spray and vapour in the eyes may cause irritation and stinging. (Tailford, 2007)



• low hazard but has a 94% data gap ( "Petroleum Jelly", 2011)
  
  


• small amounts of arsenic and lead can be found in petroleum jelly (no more than 3mg/kg) ( "Petroleum Jelly", 1997)



• impurities called PAH 's (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in petroleum jelly are linked to cancer (Goldie)
  


• petroletum (petroleum jelly) is banned by the EU unless companies can prove it is not contaminated ( "Petroleum Jelly", 2011)



• no regulations in United States, therefore there is no way to know if petroleum jelly is contaminated or not ( "Petroleum Jelly", 2011)



• petrolatum (petroleum jelly) was listed as a probable human carcinogen by the European Union ("Petroleum jelly", 2011)



• classified as a high human health priority by Environment Canada Domestic Substance List("Petroleum jelly", 2011)



• classified as expected to be toxic or harmful by Environment Canada Domestic Substance List ("Petroleum jelly", 2011)

For more information on possible dangers of petroleum jelly, products containing petroleum jelly and more go to: http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=704786


Treatment For Exposure

• Inhalation- move person to fresh air, rinse mouth and nose (Tailford, 2007)



• Ingestion- wash out mouth (Tailford, 2007)



• Eye contact- wash out eyes for 15 minutes (Tailford, 2007)
  


• Skin contact- wash hands throughly with soap and water, remove contaminated clothing (Tailford, 2007)
  
  


• If irritation persists, get medical help immediately (Tailford, 2007)

Precautions

• do not put petroleum jelly near mouth, eyes or nose (Tailford, 2007)
  


• avoid spillage (Tailford, 2007)



• store in original container in a cool, dry, well ventilated space (Tailford, 2007)



• use eye protection if risk of splashing into eyes (Tailford, 2007)



• use protective clothing/gloves if risk of skin irritation (Tailford, 2007)



• do not dispose of onto ground or into water (Tailford, 2007)

Petroleum jelly should not be allowed in personal care and other products, unless the manufacturers can prove that it has not been contaminated with other toxic substances, such as arsenic, lead and/or impurities (PAH's). Almost all of the dangers of petroleum jelly come from contaminants found within the substance. For example, PAH's have been linked to cancer(Goldie), and arsenic and lead are poisonous ("Petroleum jelly", 1997). However, the dangerous effects from pure, uncontaminated petroleum jelly only occur if the substance is inhaled or ingested (eg: pneumonia, stomach aches) (Smith, 2011).


Sources:

Goldie, G. News flash-petroleum jelly. [Online Forum Comment]. Retrieved from http://www.health- report.co.uk/petroleum_petrolatum_health_concerns.htm

Petrolatum. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.ewg.org/chemindex/chemicals/23656

Petroleum jelly. (1997) Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/docrep/w6355e/w6355e0p.htm

Smith, S. E. (2011, April 18). What is petroleum jelly? [Online Forum Comment]. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-petroleum-jelly.htm

Tailford, T. (2007, June 26). Petroleum jelly. Retrieved from http://www.abbey-chemicals.co.uk/MSDS/Petroleum-Jelly-MSDS.pdf

Vaseline petroleum jelly. (2011) Retrieved from http://www.vaseline.com/Product.aspx?Path=Consumer/OurProducts/PertroleumJelly


Weisstein, E. W. (2007). Hydrocarbon classification. Retrieved from http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/chemistry/HydrocarbonClassification.html