Effects of skin contact with gasoline containing methanol

Report no. 87/54: The use of methanol as a blending component in gasoline raises two questions concerning potential health hazards from skin contact with liquid fuel:

1. Is gasoline containing methanol more irritant to the skin
2. than conventional gasoline?
3. To what extent is methanol likely to be absorbed through the
4. skin from gasoline containing methanol?

To provide information to assist in answering these questions and assessing the need to provide any additional precautionary handling advice for the protection of users, CONCAWE sponsored two limited studies which were carried out by Inveresk Research International (IRI), Musselburgh, Scotland.

This report summarises the studies and findings and provides an interpretation of the results in relation to handling and use of gasoline containing methanol. Full details of the studies and results are contained in the IRI reports which are included as Appendices I and 11.