Journal Article

Ecotoxicological effects, human and animal health risks of pollution and exposure to waste engine oils: a review

Ossai, Innocent Chukwunonso, Hassan, Auwalu, Aboudi-Mana, Suzanne Christine, Hamid, Fauziah Shahul

2024

Overview

Waste engine oils are hazardous waste oils originating from the transportation sector and industrial heavy-duty machinery operations. Improper handling, disposal, and miscellaneous misuses cause significant air, soil, sediments, surface water, and groundwater pollution. Occupational exposure by prolonged and repeated contact poses direct or indirect health risks, resulting in short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic) toxicities. Soil pollution causes geotoxicity by disrupting the biocenosis and physicochemical properties of the soil, and phytotoxicity by impairing plant growth, physiology and metabolism. Surface water pollution impacts aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity. Air pollution from incineration causes the release of greenhouse gases creating global warming, noxious gases and particulate matter eliciting pulmonary disorders. The toxicity of waste engine oil is due to the total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) composition, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners, organometallic compounds, and toxic chemical additives. The paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the ecotoxicological effects, human and animal health toxicology and exposure to waste engine oils. It highlights the properties and functions of engine oil and describes waste engine oil generation, disposal and recycling. It provides intensive evaluations and descriptions of the toxicokinetics, metabolism, routes of exposure and toxicosis in human and animal studies based on toxicological, epidemiological and experimental studies. It emphasises the preventive measures in occupational exposure and recommends risk-based remediation techniques to mitigate environmental pollution. The review will assist in understanding the potential risks of waste engine oil with significant consideration of the public health benefits and importance.

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: air / Air pollution / Animal health / Animals / Aquatic ecosystems / Aquatic plants / Aromatic compounds / Benzene / biocenosis / Biocoenosis / Biodiversity / Chemical compounds / Climate change / Congeners / Earth and Environmental Science / Ecological effects / Ecotoxicology / Engines / Environment / Environmental Chemistry / Environmental Exposure / Environmental Health / Environmental impact / Environmental risk / Epidemiology / Ethyl benzene / Ethylbenzene / Exposure / Geochemistry / Global warming / Greenhouse effect / Greenhouse gases / greenhouses / Groundwater / groundwater contamination / Groundwater pollution / hazardous waste / Hazardous wastes / Health risk assessment / Health risks / Humans / Hydrocarbons / Incineration / Industrial pollution / Metabolism / Occupational Exposure / Occupational health / Oil / Oil wastes / oils / Organometallic compounds / Outdoor air quality / Particulate matter / particulates / PCB / petroleum / Petroleum hydrocarbons / pharmacokinetics / Physicochemical processes / Physicochemical properties / Phytotoxicity / Plant growth / poisoning / Pollution / Polychlorinated biphenyls / Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons / Public Health / remediation / Review Paper / Risk Assessment / Sediments / Soil / Soil pollution / Soil properties / Soil Science & Conservation / Soil water / Surface water / Surface-groundwater relations / Suspended particulate matter / Terrestrial Pollution / Toluene / toxic substances / Toxic waste disposal / Toxic wastes / Toxicology / transportation industry / Water pollution / Xylene