Popular Science | "It’s illegal to pump your own gas in New Jersey. But why?”
Popular Science interviewed Dr. Michael Jerrett, professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, about safety around gas pumps.
Popular Science interviewed Dr. Michael Jerrett, professor in UCLA Fielding's Department of Environmental Health Sciences, about the safety and risk factors for motorists and workers when pumping gasoline at a service station.
“ 'Basically, gasoline vapors include benzene,' a colorless, sweet-smelling chemical that’s highly flammable, says Jerrett, 'as well as other volatile organic compounds,' which are carbon-based chemicals that evaporate into the air at room temperature.
These include toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene—all used to help improve a fuel’s efficiency and stability as well as an engine’s performance. All of these flammable, colorless liquids are considered neurotoxic, meaning being exposed to them in large doses can cause headaches, fatigue, and even more severe symptoms like death.
But don’t get too worried, says Jerrett, since it’s the dose that makes the poison. Gas stations nationwide have gone to great lengths to limit our exposure to vapors at the pumps. 'California, for example, uses rubber sealers around the nozzle for fueling,' says Jerrett. These prevent harmful gasoline vapors from escaping into the atmosphere during refueling, which protects not only the people at the gas tank but also the environment."
