Toxicity and human health assessment of an alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) synthetic kerosene

ABSTRACT

A toxicological investigation was conducted for alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) fuels intended as a 50:50 blend with petroleum-derived fuel Jet Propulsion (JP)-8. The ATJ synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) fuel was produced by Gevo (Englewood CO) and derived either from biomass (bio) or non-biomass sources. All toxicity tests were performed with one or both ATJ fuels following addition of a standard additive package required for JP-8. The primary fuel, Gevo (bio) ATJ SPK produced from biomass-derived iso-butanol, exhibited the same dermal irritation potential in rabbits as JP-8; the non-biomass-derived fuel was less irritating. The Gevo (bio) fuel was non-clastogenic in micronucleus testing with rats and neither version was mutagenic in the bacterial reverse mutation assay. A 90-day study was performed with Gevo (bio) ATJ SPK by exposing male and female Fischer 344 rats to target concentrations of 0, 200, 700 or 2000 mg/m³ of fuel, 6 hr per day, 5 days a week for 69 exposure days and included neurobehavioral assays and reproductive health evaluations in the study design. Results were negative or limited to irritant effects in the respiratory system due to exposure to a vapor and aerosol mixture in the 2000 mg/m³ exposure group. Occupational exposure limits for JP-8 were proposed for these ATJ fuels since these fuels display similar or somewhat lower toxicity than JP-8. As both versions of the Gevo ATJ jet fuel were similar, handling of either fuel alone or in a blend with petroleum-derived JP-8 appears unlikely to increase human health risks for workers.

KEYWORDS:

• Alternative jet fuel
• occupational exposure
• toxicity
• inhalation
• dermal

Acknowledgments

These toxicity studies were funded by the former Alternative Fuels Certification Office (AFCO), and the former Air Force Research Laboratory Aerospace Toxicology Program at WPAFB, OH. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Air Force, the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, nor the U.S. Government. This work was prepared as part of official duties by employees of the U.S. Government. Title 17, U.S.C. §105 provides that copyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the U.S. Government.