Xylenes | ToxFAQs™

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What are xylenes?
What happens to xylenes in the environment?
How can I be exposed to xylenes?
How can xylenes affect my health?
Can xylenes cause cancer?
Can I get a medical test to check for xylenes?
How can I protect myself and my family from xylenes?
For more information

ToxFAQs^TM for Xylenes

CAS#: 1330-20-7

What are xylenes?

Xylenes are three related chemicals (i.e., isomers) called o-xylene, m-xylene, and p-xylene. Commercial xylene is a mixture of all three isomers that often contains a substantial amount (i.e., 10–50%) of a different chemical (ethylbenzene). All xylene compounds are colorless liquids with a sweet odor. They evaporate into the air very quickly and dissolve in water. Xylenes are highly flammable. They are released naturally in the environment during wildfires and are also found in human-made sources like cigarette smoke and motor vehicle exhaust.

Xylenes are used in industry as a solvent and to make other products such as glues, paints, protective coatings, and pesticides. o-Xylene is used to kill weeds in water environments (e.g., ponds).

What happens to xylenes in the environment?

Xylenes can enter the environment naturally from wildfires or from oil or natural gas coming to the earth’s surface. Xylenes also get into the environment from motor vehicle exhaust, tobacco smoke, gas station operations, and industries that use or make xylenes, as well as during use of products that contain xylenes.

In air, xylenes break down within a few days. They may also be removed from the air by rain or snow and go back to the ground. Xylenes quickly evaporate from surface water and soil into the air. Xylenes can travel through soil and can get into groundwater. They are not expected to accumulate in plants or animals.

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How can I be exposed to xylenes?

In most cases, exposures will be to a mixture of all three isomers. The most common ways to be exposed to xylenes are by smoking cigarettes or breathing cigarette smoke from other people (second-hand smoke). Motor vehicle exhaust and gasoline contain xylenes, so if you breathe in contaminated air, particularly in areas with heavy motor vehicle traffic or around gas stations, you may be exposed to xylenes. Inside your home, xylenes can be released from burning fuel, such as gas stoves and ovens and wood-based fireplaces.

If you live near manufacturing plants that produce or use xylenes, or around landfills and hazardous waste sites that contain xylenes, you may be exposed. Underground fuel tanks can leak and release xylene vapors that can move into homes. Gasoline station and oil rig workers may be exposed to higher levels of xylenes.

Exposure to xylenes can cause feelings of intoxication and irritation of the nose and throat.

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How can xylenes affect my health?

Breathing in high levels of xylenes for short period can cause nose and throat discomfort and make breathing difficult. It can also make you feel intoxicated and cause headaches, dizziness, and impaired reaction time, memory, and vision. Breathing low levels over a long period of time can cause similar effects. Respiratory (e.g., irritation, decreased breathing rate) and neurological (e.g., hearing loss, impaired vision, incoordination, impaired learning, loss of consciousness) effects were also observed in animals that breathed or ate xylenes.

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Can xylenes cause cancer?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has not evaluated the potential for xylenes to cause cancer.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that the available data were inadequate to assess if xylenes cause cancer.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified xylenes as “not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans” due to inadequate evidence in humans and experimental animals.

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Can I get a medical test to check for xylenes?

Xylenes and their breakdown products can be detected in the urine. Xylenes can also be detected in the blood. These tests cannot predict whether you will have health problems from exposure. Doctor’s offices do not routinely offer these tests.

If you think you have been exposed to xylenes, or any other chemical, talk to your doctor or nurse or call 1-800-222-1222 to be connected to your local poison control center.

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How can I protect myself and my family from xylenes?

Avoid smoking and keep away from areas where you or your children may be exposed to second-hand smoke. If you have an attached garage to your house, do not store gasoline cans in the garage. Avoid breathing in smoke from fires. Try to limit your time in heavy traffic areas to minimize exposure to automobile exhaust. Do not allow your children to play near a facility that uses xylenes or around landfills.

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