Chances are, you’ve got some petroleum-based products in your home that are taking up room and gathering dust. Maybe this is used motor oil from a quick tune-up or oil-based paints you no longer need. With these and many more products, these oil-derived chemicals make them hard to dispose of at home and pose health and safety risks when handled or stored improperly. It’s time to take inventory of what you’ve got at home and plan for their disposal with help from this blog.
Common Types of Petroleum-Based Products
Petroleum products are used in a staggeringly wide array of products, some of which we guarantee you can find in your home right now. Below are some of the most common:
- Automotive Products: While motor oil and oil filters are obvious, other automotive products like transmission fluid contain petroleum products, and many can get contaminated with oil depending on handling and storage.
- Gasoline, Propane & Butane: Fuel for your car and mower or gas for your grill or camping stove; all these household fuels contain petroleum products.
- Oil-Based Paints & Stains: Oil-based paints and stains contain petroleum distillate solvents, including mineral spirits or turpentine.
- Sealants & Renovation Products: Sealants like driveway sealers and other adhesives may contain petroleum products such as bitumen.
- Pesticides: Insecticides and herbicides are almost all derived from petroleum.
The Health and Safety Risks of Oil and Oil-Based Products
You’ll notice that on all these products, there are warning labels around the contents, their proper use, and disposal. Let’s dive more into why below.
Health Risks of PAHs and VOCs
The two most common risks to humans when handling these types of products are PAHs and VOCs. PAH stands for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and VOCs for Volatile Organic Compounds. Both are gases given off by petroleum products that are toxic when inhaled and known carcinogens.
Home Safety and Fire Risks
The VOCs that off-gas from many petroleum products pose not only a health hazard but also a risk to the safety of your home. These gases are extremely flammable and, when stored near flame or spark hazards, can lead to household fires.
The Environmental Impact of Oil
Oil and oil-based products are one of the major environmental concerns for both the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). Learn more about hazardous waste and its environmental impacts in our blog, The Environmental Impact of Improper Hazardous Waste Disposal.
Disposing of Petroleum-Based Products
Most types of petroleum-based products cannot be disposed of at home due to the environmental and health impacts those products would make. We all know pouring oil down the drain comes with still penalties, but many other chemicals listed above (and their containers) also can’t be disposed of at home. Make sure to read the labels for proper disposal options and consult online resources, including our Fact Sheets and MassDEP’s Household Hazardous Product Search, for your petroleum-based products disposal options.
NEDT’s Collection Centers are standing by to also help with these and many other types of household hazardous waste. See our locations, contact us online, or call us at 1-866-769-1621 to get started, or schedule a pick-up time when it’s convenient for you!
Leave a Reply