Acute toxicity of conventional versus shale-derived JP5 jet fuel: light microscopic, hematologic, and serum chemistry studies

Abstract

Rats were gavaged with 60, 48, 38, 30, or 24 ml/kg body wt of either petroleum-derived JP5 jet fuel or one of three samples of shale-derived JP5 jet fuel. The surviving rats were killed at 14 days after dosing. In another study, rats were gavaged with one of three shale-derived fuels at the rate of 24 ml/kg body wt and killed at 1, 2, or 3 days postdosing. There was a significant difference in lethality of the three shalederived fuels, even though all originated from the same shale deposit. The difference in toxicity was attributed to variations in the chemical composition of the crude oil in refining processes. Elevated packed cell volume and red cell count on Days 1 and 2 indicated severe dehydration. White cell counts were markedly reduced on Days 1 and 2. All hematologic parameters were similar to control values by 3 days postdosing. Pathologic findings in rats that died within 24 hr of dosing indicated cardiovascular collapse. Rats that died later exhibited hepatic periportal fatty change and renal hyaline droplet formation and fatty change. Rats sacrificed at daily intervals following administration of 24 ml/kg JP5 had moderate renal and hepatic functional alterations, as indicated by serum chemistry determinations. Renal hyaline droplet formation and fatty change was microscopically evident on all 3 days, but hepatic fatty change was not present until Day 2.