The Toxicological Impact of Jet and Rocket Fuel on Human Health

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Pollution and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2024 | Viewed by 1023

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Intertox Inc. and Aerospace Toxicology Association, Seattle, WA, USA
Interests: aerospace toxicology; neurotoxicology; neuropharmacology; developmental neurobiology; reproductive toxicology; respiratory toxicology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to provide a multidisciplinary perspective to deepen our understanding of the toxicological properties of jet and rocket fuel and the implications for characterizing the potential impacts of these substances on human health. This perspective encompasses various fields, including engineering, aviation, medicine, geochemistry, and exposure science. The focus is on topics that are relevant to occupational settings, where individuals are commonly exposed to higher levels of these fuels and their components.

Jet and rocket fuel contain a range of compounds, including aliphatics, aromatics, and additives. Additionally, the combustion process produces potentially toxic byproducts, including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The characterization of these constituents, particularly during engine operation and fuel combustion, is a critical aspect of assessing their potential toxic effects.

In occupational settings, both inhalation and dermal contact are important pathways of exposure to jet or rocket fuel and their components. Characterizing exposure concentrations in air and potential respiratory exposures and uptake through skin are important considerations for assessing the potential toxicological risk.

The goals of this Special Issue are as follows:

  • To examine the toxicological effects of inhaling fuel vapors, aerosols, and combustion byproducts, including immediate or short-term effects and the effects resulting from prolonged or repeated exposures.
  • To explore other potential pathways of exposure to jet and rocket fuel, including the effects of direct skin contact and the potential for dermal absorption.
  • To characterize the potential exposure concentrations of jet and rocket fuel components and combustion byproducts, particularly in air, through direct measurements or modeling.
  • To consider the environmental impact, including soil and water contamination, as well as environmental persistence and potential ecological effects, of jet and rocket fuel.

Overall, this Special Issue aims to advance our understanding of the health and environmental risks associated with use of jet and rocket fuel, contributing to the development of safety protocols and environmental protection measures.

Dr. Richard C. Pleus 
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • aerospace toxicology
  • jet and rocket fuel
  • human health
  • toxic effects
  • inhalation
  • occupational health
  • combustive byproducts
  • direct skin contact
  • environmental impact

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

27 pages, 4983 KiB  
Article
Indications of Endocrine Disruptor Effects of JP-5 Jet Fuel Using a Rat-Model Reproductive Study and an In Vitro Human Hormone Receptor Assay
by William R. Howard, Joyce G. Rohan, Kimberly S. B. Yeager, Chester P. Gut, Kathleen A. Frondorf, Shawn M. McInturf, Nathan M. Gargas and Karen L. Mumy
Toxics 2024, 12(3), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12030220 - 16 Mar 2024
Viewed by 740
Abstract
Recent events concerning jet fuel contamination of drinking water have shown that we need a better understanding of the effects of ingested jet fuel. To this end, a reproductive study with ingested jet fuel in rats was undertaken with relatively high concentrations of [...] Read more.
Recent events concerning jet fuel contamination of drinking water have shown that we need a better understanding of the effects of ingested jet fuel. To this end, a reproductive study with ingested jet fuel in rats was undertaken with relatively high concentrations of Jet Propellant (JP)-5 along with a human estrogen receptor activation in vitro assay using JP-5, JP-8, and an alternative jet fuel derived from the camelina plant referred to as HydroRenewable Jet (HRJ) fuel, to help evaluate potential effects of ingested jet fuel. The results of the in vivo study provide evidence that JP-5 can act as an endocrine disruptor, with specific observations including altered hormone levels with JP-5 exposure (significantly lower estradiol levels in male rats and significantly increased Dehydroepiandrosterone levels in females), and a decreased male/female offspring ratio. The in vitro hormone receptor activation assay indicated that JP-5 and JP-8 are capable of upregulating human estrogen receptor (ER) activity, while HRJ was not active in the ER assay. The jet fuels were not able to activate androgen or glucocorticoid receptors in further in vitro assays. These results infer potential endocrine disruption associated with JP-5, with activation of the estrogen receptor as one potential mechanism of action. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Toxicological Impact of Jet and Rocket Fuel on Human Health)
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