‫‪Hydrocarbons‬‬

‫د‪.‬حسام شواقفه‬
‫د‪.‬عبير مهدي‬
• Hydrocarbons comprise a broad group of
organic compounds that contain only
hydrogen and carbon.

aliphatic (straight chain) or halogenated aliphatic and

aromatic (benzene ring) arpmatic hydrocarbons
• Hydrocarbons commonly encountered in
acute poisonings consist of a mixture of
saturated and unsaturated

• aliphatic, alicyclic, or aromatic compounds

and are usually distillates of crude oil,
coal tar, and pine wood.
crude oil coal tar

pine wood oil

 hydrocarbons as solvents
• The main determinants of a
solvent’s inherent toxicity are:
(1) its number of carbon
atoms; (2) whether it is
saturated or has double or
triple bonds between adjacent
carbon atoms; (3) its
configuration (ie, straight
chain, branched chain, or
cyclic); (4) whether it is
halogenated; and (5) the
presence of functional
groups
• the more lipophilic a
hydrocarbon, the more potent
a central nervous system
(CNS) depressant it is
• Effects of exposure is
dependent on several factors:
(1) toxicity/carcinogenicity of
the solvent; (2) exposure route;
(3) amount or rate of exposure;
(4) duration of exposure; (5)
individual susceptibility; and (6)
interactions with other
chemicals
comparison between
hydrocarbons
• Each hydrocarbon has unique characteristics, including molecular
weight, volatility, surface tension, and viscosity

• Surface tension refers to cohesiveness of molecules on a liquid's

surface
• Volatility is the tendency of a liquid to change into a gas or vapor
• Viscosity is defined as the resistance of a substance to flow over a
surface and is measured in Saybolt seconds universal (SSU) units.

The most
volatile hydrocaihons are low-molecularweight
(C1 to C5) gases and are asphyxiants.
Aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzene,
toluene. and xylene, are also volatile and well
absorbed from the GI tract.
• Hydrocarbons with viscosity values below 45 SSU units
have high aspiration risk,whereas those with a viscosity
value greater than 100 SSU have a low aspiration potential

• Viscosity is the single most important index related to

aspiration hazard
 Mechanism of Toxicity
• The two most common routes
of exposure for hydrocarbons
• Ingestion is the
are inhalation and ingestion. more common
route of exposure
encountered in
acute accidental
hydrocarbon
poisonings.
 When ingested hydrocarbons produce toxic effects at several sites
including the pulmonary, CNS, gastrointestinal, hepatic, and
cardiovascular systems
• most serious damage occurs
to the pulmonary system.
Aspiration pneumonitis is
the greatest cause of morbidity
and mortality with these
compounds
• Halogenated hydrocarbons,
particularly those containing
fluorine, sensitize the heart to
catecholamines and induce
arrhythmias in susceptible
individuals
 PETROLEUM DISTILLATES
AND TURPENTINE
• Although petroleum distillate
ingestions involve a relatively
small number of poisonings
(reported to be approximately
7% of all cases)
• EXAMPLES
lubricants, mineral seal oil (in
furniture polishes), fuels,
cigarette and charcoal lighter
fluids, solvents, paint and
var_x0002_nish thinners, and
paint removers. Gasoline
sniffing as a means of
intentional abuse has been
shown to cause toxicity
• One of the major sources of
petroleum distillate poisoning
in adults is gasoline
siphoning, resulting in
pulmonary aspiration. During
the world oil embargo of 1973
and other periods of gasoline
shortages
• Not all petroleum distillates
are aspiration risks. Highly
viscous substances (paint
glues.asphalt, rubber cement,
etc.) pose little significant
hazard of aspiration.
Obstruction would be of
greater concern after the
ingestion highly viscous
products
 Pathogenesis
• The major target organs
affected by petroleum
distillates include the
gastrointestinal, respiratory,
and central nervous systems

• Petroleum distillates produce

gastrointestinal irritation and
burning, often resulting in
emesis and the risk of
aspiration.
• aromatic hydrocarbons are • ingestion of (> 15 mL/kg)will
absorbed to greater degree leads to hypoxia and
than are aliphatic acidosis,
hydrocarbons

• However, the amount

absorbed is not sufficient to be
directly responsible for CNS
toxicity