[s-cars] Toluene - safety warning.

[Eric Phillips]

I'll pipe up as a chemist working in the field analyzing such things
as environmental contaminants.

The proper saftey precaustions are not as severe as Taka would lead
you to believe.  Headgear?  Protective clothing?  No.

Keep it off your skin - wear neoprene (like kitchen) gloves.  Not
latex - it'll go through those.  Don't spill it on yourself, but if
you do, don't panic.  Just wash it off with lots of soap and water.  A
respirator is not necessary unless you plan on being in vapor contact
with the stuff for a prolonged period.  Open the can outside, pour it
in your tank outside (not in the closed garage), and if you leave the
can open, leave it outside!.  Or close the can.

The contact you have had over time from the benzene in gasoline and
the polyaromatic hydrocarbons in used motor oil are a MUCH greater
risk.  You do wear gloves when handling used motor oil, right?

Have you used a bunch of chlorinated solvents anywhere (brake
cleaners, etc?)  Those are terrible for your liver, in comparison to
toluene.  As a carcinogen, toluene, while being one, has much larger
exposure limits than benzene or polyaromatic hydrocarbons.

If it makes you feel better, where eye protection and an organic vapor
mask with FRESH cartridges.  I wouldn't, but I would wear gloves, and
do my pouring outside, where the vapors won't go into my lungs.

eric

> Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 19:43:27 -0500
> From: "John Cody Forbes" <cody at 5000tq.com>
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] Octane MTM+1
>
> I didn't take his reply as lightly as you. My mother died from sunlight
> exposure 5 years ago. Melanoma to be exact.
>
>

> Taka Mizutani wrote:
> > Thanks Mike,
> > Just trivialize something that is a safety hazard- toluene, like
> > gasoline, is
> > dangerous stuff. Organic solvents are bad news for the body.
> >
> > And no, I don't think it's funny at all. And no, I'm not going to
> > lighten up because
> > you think it's funny to make light of a serious warning.
> >
> > If it's such a harmless thing, why don't you drink it and report back
> > to us how you're
> > doing?
> >
> >
> > Taka
> >
> >
> > On 12/11/06, mike at urq20v.com <mike at urq20v.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> So is gasoline, used motor oil, brake dust and sunlight.
> >> So are cigarettes, so don't smoke when you are pouring it. :)~
> >>
> >> Mike Sylvester
> >>
> >> -------- Original Message --------
> >> Subject: Re: [s-cars] Octane MTM+1
> >> From: "Taka Mizutani" <t44tqtro at gmail.com>
> >> Date: Mon, December 11, 2006 3:42 pm
> >> To: "Marc Gorelick" <marc at frogville.net>
> >> Cc: s-car-list at audifans.com
> >>
> >> Please be careful with toluene- that's not something you want to
> >> handle casually (it's a carcinogen for one thing- use a respirator
> >> and protective clothing/headgear/etc.) ...
> >>
> >> Taka