Petrol Pump Research Articles

Evaluation of Occupational Exposure To Xylene in Petroleum Workers by Assessing Urinary Methyl Hippuric Acid and Cellular Changes of Exfoliated Epithelial Cells in Buccal Mucosa Smears

Xylene is an important component of petrol and a widely distributed environmental contaminant. About 98% of Xylene is derived from the petrochemical and petroleum refining industries. When human get expose to xylene, which is one of the major Geno toxicants, may be associated with a range of acute/chronic diseases and cancer still literature is not available. Taking into our mind that occupational exposure to such derivatives may possess genotoxic risk or not. Hence our study aims to investigate and correlate the cellular changes in exfoliated oral epithelial cells oral smears with urinary methyl hippuric acid level estimation in petrol pump workers and to identify the significant role of xylene on oral mucosa. Materials and Methods: Urine samples and oral buccal mucosa smears were collected from 30 healthy individual (control) and 30 petroleum pump workers (case) working in petroleum station who are above 18 years of age. The urine was collected before exposure/work shift and after completion of work shift. The urinary methyl hippuric acid (MHA) level was analyzed by using Shimadzu UV-Visible Spectrophotometer procedure. The smeared slides were stained with PAP stain and analyses the cytomorphometric changes of exfoliated epithelial cells by using Axio Vision SE64 Rel 4.9.1. Ink Software. Results: The urinary Methyl hippuric acid level was substantially higher in cases than in controls (p<0.001). The Micronuclei (MN) frequency was drastically increased in cases than in controls and was statistically highly significant (P<0.0001). The frequency of MN gradually increased along with increased urinary MHA level in petroleum pump workers (case). Conclusion: The urinary MHA level and MN frequency is a useful index to recognize the occupational exposure to the petroleum product. Thus, our study emphasizes that appropriate precaution and regular biomonitoring must be taken among petrol pump workers which shall help to reduce their potential levels of risk associated with the occupation.

Estimation of serum electrolyte concentration among fuel pump/petrol station workers in Kirkuk city

Occupational exposure to petrol has been reported to cause serious health hazards especially liver and kidney disease. Electrolytes like Na+, K+, and Cl- are the important mediators of several physiological functions. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of petrol exposure on the serum electrolyte concentration among the workers at the Kirkuk petrol station. The cross-sectional study analyzed 29 petrol pump workers who were continuously exposed to petrol more at least one year in the Kirkuk city and did not have a history of any systemic illness, and 10 healthy age-matched controls who never had exposure to petrol were enrolled. The serum electrolyte levels (Na+, K+, and Cl-) were assessed in the petrol station workers working at Kirkuk city petrol station and the controls by FUJI DRI-CHEM system (Fujifilm (Japan) and expressed as mmol/l. These serum electrolyte levels were compared between the workers and the controls by Mann-Whitney U test and p values ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. All the participants in the study were males. None of the participants was smokers or alcohol consumers. No significant (p=0.32) difference was found in the mean age of the petrol station workers (34.22±6.57) years and the controls (36.70±6.33) years. The serum Na+ levels were significantly higher in the petrol station workers as compared to the controls. Similarly, serum Cl- levels were significantly higher in the petrol station workers as compared to the controls. Although the levels of the electrolytes studied were in the normal recommended range but the levels of Na+ and Cl-were significantly higher in the petrol station workers than the controls. Extensive studies involving larger sample sizes should be conducted to conclude the effect of petrol exposure on the electrolyte levels.

British American Tobacco (BAT) and retail merchandising: Vype e-cigarette promotion in Ontario, Canada

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) were initially offered by many independent producers, but multinational tobacco companies, which have notable marketing budgets, have increasingly acquired e-cigarette brands and developed their own ‘next generation...

English

English

Evaluation of renal and liver function in petrol station workers in Kirkuk city

A cross-sectional study to evaluate the effects of occupational petrol exposure on the kidney and liver of petrol station workers in Kirkuk city was done. 29 petrol pump workers who were continuously exposed to petrol for at least one year in the Kirkuk city having no medical history and 10 healthy age-matched controls who were never exposed to petrol were enrolled. These serum parameters of both the groups were compared by the Mann-Whitney U test. Since all the parameters studied were normal in the workers exposed to petrol, it can be concluded that petrol did not affect their liver and kidney health. However, higher levels of serum cholesterol, TG, and LDL in the petrol station workers as compared to the controls are suggestive of higher risk of developing liver damage. Larger studies should be conducted to validate the findings of the present study further.

Optimization and characterization of a glycolipid produced by Achromobacter sp. to use in petroleum industries.

A biosurfactant, produced by Achromobacter sp. TMB1 is reported through this investigation having physiochemical properties useful for operational and remedial activities in petroleum industries. The strain isolated from soils of local petrol pumps when allowed to grow in glucose containing mineral salts media (MSM) in ambient environment that is, 30 °C and varying pH in between 5.5 and 7.2, showed surface tension reduction as low as 34.25 dyne cm-1 at an interval of 48-72 h. Taguchi experiment confirmed the contribution of glucose, yeast extracts, and NaNO3 concentration on biosurfactant production. FTIR and 1 H NMR analysis of culture supernatant obtained after acid precipitation and solvent extraction methods revealed the glycolipid nature of the extracted compounds. HR-LCMS study further revealed the presence of 10 different types of mono- and di-rhamnolipids congeners with the fatty acids carbon length C8-12 . The isolated biosurfactant shows functional stability in the temperature range 20-100 °C and pH range 2-12 while maintaining the structural integrity till 550 °C (TGA-DSC), strongly suggests its potential applications in petroleum industries.

Comparison of Pulmonary Function Test in Petrol Pump Worker and Auto-rickshaw Driver.

Background:Rapid rise in petrol pump filling station is seen in the last decade, and air pollution had increased drastically. Air pollutants and components in petrol may have delirious effect on respiratory health. Petrol pump workers are exposed to both factors, whereas auto-rickshaw drivers are exposed mainly to air pollutants. In the present study, respiratory function in petrol pump workers was compared with auto-rickshaw driver and healthy controls.Materials and Methods:This was the cross-sectional study done on petrol pump workers, auto-rickshaw drivers, and healthy volunteers. ndd Large TrueFlow™ (EasyOne) spirometer was used to assess pulmonary function. One-way ANOVA and Chi-square test were used using statistical software.Results:No significant difference was seen in various spirometry parameters studied. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed the pattern of the lung function in three groups.Conclusions:Nine years of occupation as petrol pump worker and auto-rickshaw drivers are not having any significant effect on lung function; however, large multicentric trials are recommended, whereby the role of various factors controlling pollution would be studied.

Assessment of vital respiratory indices of petrol pump workers of Kathmandu

Introduction: Petrol pump is a place where workers are exposed to both fuel vapor and the vehicular exhaust fumes. Automobile exhaust, a complex mixture of different gasses such as sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter, has an adverse impact on the respiratory system. The present cross-sectional study, therefore, has been designed to determine the few vital respiratory indices of petrol pump workers. Methods: Forty nonsmoker petrol pump workers and other forty participants, as a control group from the same locality, were considered in this study. All inclusion and exclusion criteria were followed. After participants were familiarized with spiro-excel (PC bases) spirometer, they were asked to perform maneuver – a forced expiratory following full inspiration – until they could duplicate the maneuvers successfully on three consecutive attempts. Parameters such as forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the 1st s (FEV1), FEV1/FVC (%), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and forced expiratory flow at 25%–75% (FEF25%–75%) were recorded in sitting position preceded by 5-min rest, and the best values of three attempts were considered for data analysis using SPSS 16.0 version, and t-test (P < 0.05) was used for statistical analysis. Results: The mean ± standard deviation values of FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC (%), FEF25%–75%, and PEFR for petrol pump workers versus control groups were 3.44 ± 0.23 versus 3.94 ± 0.25 L, 2.64 ± 0.20 versus 3.24 ± 0.29 L, 77.11% ± 0.08% versus 82.61% ± 0.09%, 4.36 ± 0.37 versus 5.58 ± 0.36 L/s, and 6.35 ± 0.27 versus 7.62 ± 0.45 L/s, respectively. Conclusion: The significant decrease in FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC (%), FEF25%–75%, and PEFR in this study showed that long-term exposure to gasoline fumes/products leads to inflicted changes in lungs functions and could result to obstructive lung disease.

Scope of E-Commerce over Petroleum Products with Portable Refuellers in Succeeding Decades

Petroleum and diesel products can be obtained in specialised refuellers like, „Mini and Mobile Petrol Pumps‟ by placing orders on e-commerce platforms on a pre-booking basis. Mobile applications, home deliveries, online payments are the aid of the digital market. The concept of delivering petrol and diesel products to your doorstep with the help of applications like “My Petrol Pump” and “Book My Petrol” have come into the industry recently. This paper examines the promotion of the home delivery of petroleum products on e-commerce platforms and assesses customer‟s acceptability of the technology.

An exploratory study to assess the occupational health hazards due to exposure of benzene vapors among workers at selected petrol pumps of malwa region, Punjab

An exploratory study to assess the occupational health hazards due to exposure of benzene vapors among workers at selected petrol pumps of malwa region, Punjab

Optimization of culture conditions for extracellular fungal lipase production by submerged fermentation process

The present study aimed to optimize culture conditions for optimal growth and production of extracellular lipase. Lipolytic fungal strain named as S3St2 previously isolated from a petrol pump soil sample of Newai Town was used for optimization study. Among the tested carbohydrate carbon sources, polysaccharide-starch exhibited maximum lipase production (21.25±0.70 IU/ml/min) with highest specific activity (1.47±0.06 U/mg). Lipase activity and specific activity were higher with mustard oil 1 % (v/v) among all lipidic carbon sources. Among inorganic nitrogen source, potassium nitrate was found best inducer of lipase activity, malt extract supported the fungus growth (dry weight of cell pellets was 0.467 g) and exhibited maximum lipase activity among all organic nitrogen sources. Lipase activity was optimum at pH 8.0, indicates alkalophillic nature of production media supports the growth of fungus. Higher lipase activity (27.92±0.87 IU/ml/min) was detected at 28ºC. The incubation time of 5 days was found optimum for maximum lipase production (31.51±0.21 IU/ml/min).

Caracterización geoquímica de las partículas atmosféricas sedimentables recolectadas en estaciones de servicio de la ciudad de Cumaná, noreste de Venezuela

Las estaciones de servicio (E/S) pueden aportar contaminantes al aire, suelo y los cuerpos de agua. Con la finalidad de analizar la concentración biodisponible (bio) y residual (res) de; y la fracción orgánica (FO) en partículas atmosféricas sedimentables recolectadas E/S de la ciudad, se tomaron muestras en tres estaciones, considerando tres lugares de muestreo (entrada, surtidor y salida), durante tres semanas. Para la determinación de metales biodisponibles, las muestras (&lt;50 mallas) se agitaron a temperatura ambiente con CH3COOH durante 5 horas. El residuo se trató a 80 ºC con HNO3-HCl (3:1), para obtener la fracción residual. La concentración de metales se determinó por espectroscopia de absorción atómica y la FOE por extracción Soxhlet. La acumulación de las especies químicas resultó mayor en el área del surtidor, lo que implica que es el lugar de muestreo idóneo para analizar el impacto de las E/S como fuentes contaminantes. Existieron diferencias significativas (p&lt;0,05) en las medianas de Fe(bio), Pb(res) y FOE en función del lugar de la toma y la estación, lo que permite inferir posibles diferencias en las fuentes de emisión y las condiciones de acumulación de estos. La correlación positiva entre Fe(bio) con Ni(bio) y FOE; y de Fe(res) con Pb(res), indica la asociación de las especies de acuerdo a las fuentes de emisión. &#x0D; ABSTRACT&#x0D; Services stations can provide contaminants into the air, soils, and waterbodies. In order to analyze Fe, Pb, Cd, Ni residual and bioavailable content, and organic fraction (OF) associated to atmospheric settled particles, samples were taken in three service stations of Cumaná city (northeastern Venezuela), considering three sampling sites (1) entry; (2) petrol pump, and exit, for three weeks. The metals bioavailable fraction analyses consisted in stir the samples at lab temperature with acetic acid for 5 hours. The residue was treated at 80 ° C with HNO3-HCl (3:1), to obtain the residual fraction. The concentration of metals was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy and organic fraction by Soxhlet extraction. At the petrol pump, more metals were accumulated, which implies that it is an ideal place to carry out impact studies of service stations as fixed sources of pollutants. There were significant differences (p &lt;0,05) in the medians of Fe (bio), Pb (res) and OF according to the sampling sites, and the services stations: Which allows to infer possible differences in emission sources and accumulationconditions. The positive correlation between Fe (bio) with Ni (bio) and OF; and of Fe (res) with Pb (res), indicates the association of the species according to the emission sources.

Exploring the Structure and Performance of Petroleum Retail Outlets in Pakistan

The petroleum retail industry is one of the least researched industries in Pakistan due to, perhaps, unavailability of the relevant data. This paper aims to fill this gap. Specifically, the present paper examines the structure and performance of petrol pumps in Pakistan, using primary survey data. Analysis of the data reveals that operating a petrol pump is a profitable venture and both location and non-locational variables are important in contributing to the profitability of a petrol pump. The exploratory analysis shows that the petrol pumps in urban areas and those on highways have higher sales, indicating that the geographical location of a petrol pump is important in explaining a petrol pump’s performance. According to the regression results, as the size of a petrol pump increases, its profitability increases and there is a non-linear relation between the distance variable and profitability of a petrol pump. The non-linearity implies that there exists optimal distance between two petrol pumps that maximises profits. This optimal distance is shorter for urban and non-highway petrol pumps, compared with rural and highway petrol pumps. JEL Classification: D24, L81, R3 Keywords: Cost, Retail Business, Firm Location, Petrol Pumps

Genotoxic Effects of Exposure to Gasoline Fumes on Petrol Pump Workers.

Background: Petrol pump workers are occupationally exposed to gasoline and its fumes consisting of several mutagenic chemicals. Objective: To evaluate the genotoxic effects of exposure to gasoline fumes on petrol pump workers. Methods: The study groups included 70 petrol pump workers (exposed group) and 70 healthy age-matched individuals with no known exposure (comparison group). Buccal micronucleus cytome assay (BMCyt) was performed to check the genotoxicity caused due to inhalation of gasoline fumes. Results: The frequencies of micronucleated cells, nuclear bud, condensed chromatin cells, karyorrhectic cells, pyknotic cells, and karyolytic cells were significantly higher in the exposed workers compared to the comparison group. Conclusion: Exposure to gasoline fumes is associated with increased frequency of cell abnormalities. This may lead to various health consequences including cancer in those occupationally exposed to gasoline fumes.

Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) in Smoker and Non-Smoker Petrol Pump Workers in Haldwani

Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) in Smoker and Non-Smoker Petrol Pump Workers in Haldwani

Blood picture in petrol pump workers

Blood picture in petrol pump workers

Status of Benzene, Toluene and Xylene near petrol pumps of Satna city M.P.

Status of Benzene, Toluene and Xylene near petrol pumps of Satna city M.P.

Lung Function Abnormalities in Petrol Pump Workers in Suburban Areas of Chennai

Lung Function Abnormalities in Petrol Pump Workers in Suburban Areas of Chennai

Indigenous Oil Degrading Bacteria: Isolation, Screening and Characterization

Abstract: Background: Oil contamination is increasing at an alarming rate and to overcome to this problem the most efficient method used is biodegradation. Biodegradation is a natural mechanism that can be used effectively for degradation of recalcitrant hydrocarbon pollutants prevailed in the environment by employing environmentally friendly microbes. Methods: Strain CMG 457 was isolated from petrol pump site from Firdous Colony, Karachi and was identified as Enterobacter sp. aftermorphological and biochemical characterization. Strain resistance towards different organic hydrocarbons (paraffin, aromatics and pesticides) and utilization of various organic compounds as sole carbon source were analyzed on Nutrient agar. MIC of antibiotics and heavy metals was checked on Bushnell Haas (BH) agar at 37°C for 24 hrs. Results: Research investigated the role of Enterobacter sp. in biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. The results showed that the bacterium is a gram-negative aerobic bacillus. Enterobacter sp. designated as CMG 457 was screened for oil degradation using BH agar. Resistance of strain against different organic hydrocarbons was tested and CMG 457 showed high resistance of upto 50% against paraffin. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of heavy metals and antibiotic sensitivity were investigated for bacterial strains. Screening forantibiotic resistance revealed that CMG 457 was resistant to ampicillin and erythromycin and was able to tolerate heavy metals like CuSO4, CdCl2 and CrCl2 upto 3mM. Conclusions: From the study, it is concluded that oil contaminated areas are the best source for isolation of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria. Enterobacter sp. has a potential for oil degradation as it showed better hydrocarbon degrading ability.

Erratum to: Petrol filling workers as biomonitor of PAH exposure and functional health capacity in resource-limited settings of city Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

This is the first study from Pakistan to report the exposure of petrol filling workers (n = 120) to naphthalene (Nap) and pyrene (Pyr) in relation to their functional capacities and health outcome. A group of non-exposed subjects (controls n = 46) was also recruited for comparison. The perceived health risk of the exposed workers was monitored using a questionnaire based on the self-reporting survey. The observed physical anomalies related to the health disorder included the acidity after meals, eye redness, appetite loss, skin lesions, and dryness of oral cavity, while those related to neurasthenic symptoms included the body aches, energy loss, twitching, fatigue, sleeplessness, fainting, and irritability. Mean Nap level observed in the exposed group (106 μg L−1) was significantly correlated (r = 0.49; p < 0.01) with cigarette smoking, while the average Pyr concentration (19.18 μg L−1) was associated with job duration. Workers exposed for 6 h per day or more had significantly high prevalence of physical disorders (OR = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.28–6.09). Neurasthenic symptoms were found in 65% of the subjects and were associated with years of involvement in job. Ten years or more work duration at petrol pumps could be associated with a substantial development of neurasthenic effects (OR = 2.80, 95% CI = 1.23–6.34). In conclusion, the subjects ascribed the disturbances in physical and neurological behavior to their occupation (petrol filling) and also rated their overall health and functional capacity as poor. To promote health of petrol pump workers, reduction in work hours and provision of masks and gloves could be introduced as occupational health interventions.