So, I was power washing the house today and the pressure washer ran out of gas.  Since I didn't have any more (gas is too expensive to leave lying around) I thought to myself:  "Self... there is gas in the riding lawn mower.  Just siphon some out into a can and use it."

I got me a rubber hose about 2 feet long and stuck one end in the mower's gas tank and the other in my mouth.  I sucked (I guess a little too hard) and got a mouth full of gasoline.

I didn't swallow any... I spit it out just as fast as I could and continued to hack loogies until I thought I had most of it out.  I went to the garage and repeatedly washed my mouth out with running water.

I feel OK and the only thing that reminds me that I did something really stupid is, when I burp, it's like gas fumes coming out my mouth.

I didn't go to the hospital or see a doctor but I got to thinking maybe I could be poisoned in a few days or develop pneumonia from breathing gasoline fumes.

What would you recommend??

Colt_M4

exhale on a candle, it'll be fun

Health Hazard Data:

1. The major effect of exposure to this product is central nervous system depression and polyneuropathy.

2. Studies have shown that repeated exposure of laboratory animals to high concentrations of whole gasoline vapors at 67,262 and 2056 ppm has caused kidney damage and cancer of the kidney in rats and liver cancer in mice.

3. LARC has listed gasoline as possibly carcinogenic (2B) to humans with limited evidence in humans in the absence of sufficient evidence in experimental animals. NIOSH lists gasoline as a carcinogen with no further classification.

4. N-heptane and cyclohexane cause narcosis and irritation of eyes and mucous membranes. Cyclohexane has been reported to cause liver and kidney changes in rabbits. N-heptane has been reported to cause polyneuritis following prolonged exposure.

5. ACGIH lists benzene a human carcinogen with and assigned TLV of 0.5 ppm 8 hour TWA and a STEL of 2.5 ppm; IARC, NTP $ OSHA show sufficient evidence for classifying Benzene as a human carcinogen, see 29 CGR 1910.1028 for current PEL of 1 ppm and specific actions to take. Studies have shown that benzene can induce leukemia at concentrations as low as 1 ppm. Significant elevations of chromosomal aberrations have been corroborated among workers exposed to levels at mean concentrations less than 10 ppm. Based on risk assessment studies by Rinsky, an individual inhaling 1 ppm of benzene for 40 years, the odds of benzene-induced leukemic death were 1.7 times higher than those of unexposed workers.

6. MTBE is a mild irritant to the eye with an LC50 of 85 mg/m3 on 4 hr. exposure and an LD50 ~4 ml/Kg (RATS). An increase in anesthesia with increasing concentration (250,500 & 1000 ppm ) was observed during a 90 day Test exposure. ACGIH has listed MTBE as an animal carcinogen (A3) based on tests in experimental animals at relatively high dose levels, by routes of administration, at sites, of histologic types, or by mechanisms not considered relevant to worker exposure. Available evidence suggests that MTBE is not likely to cause cancer in humans except under uncommon or unlikely routes of levels of exposure.
7. Trimethylbenzene (pseudocumene (1,2,4,) & mesitylene (1,2,5,)) has a PEL and TLV of 25 ppm 8 hr. TWA; the isomers may cause nervousness, tension, and anxiety and asthmatic bronchitis.

8. n-Hexane has been shown to cause polyneuropathy (peripheral nerve damage) after repeated and prolonged exposure, other hexanes show narcotic effects at 1000 ppm and are not metabolized like n-hexane.

9. Toluene can cause impairment of coordination and momentary loss of memory (200-500 ppm); Palpations, extreme weakness and pronounced loss of coordination (500-1500). The 100 ppm 8 hr. TWA and the 150 ppm STEL provides adequate protection.

10. The toxicological effects of ETBE and TAME have not been thoroughly investigated. ETBE and TAME are expected to be an inhalation hazard and a severe eye and moderate skin irritant.

At least it wasn't "leaded"

Post pics!

you will die in 8.7 minutes.... it's THAT bad

seriously, it's most likely bad news if you swallow it, but getting some in your mouth then immediately spitting it out/rinsing you will be ok.  i've done the same thing.  tasted like shit, but no permenant health effects

Mouth wash.  Fuel is disgusting tasting and leaves a funny feeling in your mouth.

As long as you didn't swallow any, you should be fine.

But I'm not a doctor.

I did that when i was a kid,still alive but now i ride the short bus to school.

Quoted: I did that when i was a kid,still alive but now i ride the short bus to school.

and he's 87 years old

Hence the term "Hoser", as in "Take off ya hoser, eh!"  Refered to CDN farmers  (or gas thieves) who had swallowed too much gasoline....

N_T you don't ride the short bus like Harry does, do you???

Colt_M4

I did the same thing once.  That disgusting gasoline/eggs burp thing will last for about a week solid.  No lasting effects though after that week.

You should be fine, although your oral mucosa is very vascular and absorbs chemicals quickly into the bloodstream.  If you spat it out quickly and rinsed thoroughly - you'll be OK.

SHEISLEGEND works in poison control and this happens all the time.  Drinking it isn’t really all that bad but breathing it in is often deadly.  It will feel burny coming out apparently.  You should be fine.

I’m not an expert in this area so I can’t give medical advice but I hear about this one all the time.  I recommend you call poison control but I suspect they will tell you the same thing.

Don’t piss on a fire.  It goes through pretty much unchanged.

Quoted: N_T you don't ride the short bus like Harry does, do you??? Colt_M4

who? me?  i'm a special guy!

Quoted: SHEISLEGEND works in poison control and this happens all the time.  Drinking it isn’t really all that bad but breathing it in is often deadly.  It will feel burny coming out apparently.  You should be fine. I’m not an expert in this area so I can’t give medical advice but I hear about this one all the time.  I recommend you call poison control but I suspect they will tell you the same thing. Don’t piss on a fire.  It goes through pretty much unchanged.

He did not drink it.  He got it in his mouth.

No need to call poison control.

Quoted: Quoted: SHEISLEGEND works in poison control and this happens all the time.  Drinking it isn’t really all that bad but breathing it in is often deadly.  It will feel burny coming out apparently.  You should be fine. I’m not an expert in this area so I can’t give medical advice but I hear about this one all the time.  I recommend you call poison control but I suspect they will tell you the same thing. Don’t piss on a fire.  It goes through pretty much unchanged. He did not drink it.  He got it in his mouth. No need to call poison control.

Oops!  For some reason I thought I read Colt_M4 swallowed.

I personally don't think there's a need to call even if he did drink it but I feel better referring someone to an authority acting in an official capacity rather than a bunch of ARFCOMMERS.  Just to be on the safe side in a number of ways.

If you are lucid enough to post, you are fine.  Aspiration of gasoline or its fumes is very harmful due to the very short time to show signs of effect.  

But I doubt you got any in your lungs.

Thanks for all the input guys.  "cough, cough"  I'm thinking I'll be fine "cough, cough"

Colt_M4

Quoted: If you are lucid enough to post, you are fine.  Aspiration of gasoline or its fumes is very harmful due to the very short time to show signs of effect.   But I doubt you got any in your lungs.

When I was a dumb young kid, I loved the smell of gasoline.  When i was 10 years old, I 'huffed" the fumes from our snowblower in the garage because I liked the "tickle" feeling I got from it.

I remember barely being able to walk, coming in to the house, falling down and puking all over myself.  I only did it once, but over the years I have often wondered if I screwed up my body doing that.  I know that nervous system damage often doesn't heal the way physical injuries do.

The dumb ass things we do as kids.....

Quoted: Quoted: If you are lucid enough to post, you are fine.  Aspiration of gasoline or its fumes is very harmful due to the very short time to show signs of effect.   But I doubt you got any in your lungs. When I was a dumb young kid, I loved the smell of gasoline.  When i was 10 years old, I 'huffed" the fumes from our snowblower in the garage because I liked the "tickle" feeling I got from it. I remember barely being able to walk, coming in to the house, falling down and puking all over myself.  I only did it once, but over the years I have often wondered if I screwed up my body doing that.  I know that nervous system damage often doesn't heal the way physical injuries do. The dumb ass things we do as kids.....

That's awesome!

Quoted: Quoted: If you are lucid enough to post, you are fine.  Aspiration of gasoline or its fumes is very harmful due to the very short time to show signs of effect.   But I doubt you got any in your lungs. When I was a dumb young kid, I loved the smell of gasoline.  When i was 10 years old, I 'huffed" the fumes from our snowblower in the garage because I liked the "tickle" feeling I got from it. I remember barely being able to walk, coming in to the house, falling down and puking all over myself.  I only did it once, but over the years I have often wondered if I screwed up my body doing that.  I know that nervous system damage often doesn't heal the way physical injuries do. The dumb ass things we do as kids.....

I was pouring Chlorine and Acid into the pool one day not paying much attention to where it was splashing.  The two mixed in big puddle on the railing (and thier were STRONG warnings not to allow that to happen).  I took one breath and thought that smells weird.  I took a second deep breath trying to determine the source and wham..... I was damn near out and my chest burned like it was on fire and my sight went blurry.  I was about 9 or 10 at the time and I thought I might well have done something real bad.  I recovered and my dad told me that if I touched the pool chemicals again the fumes would be least of my concerns

Quoted: Quoted: If you are lucid enough to post, you are fine.  Aspiration of gasoline or its fumes is very harmful due to the very short time to show signs of effect.   But I doubt you got any in your lungs. When I was a dumb young kid, I loved the smell of gasoline.  When i was 10 years old, I 'huffed" the fumes from our snowblower in the garage because I liked the "tickle" feeling I got from it. I remember barely being able to walk, coming in to the house, falling down and puking all over myself.  I only did it once, but over the years I have often wondered if I screwed up my body doing that.  I know that nervous system damage often doesn't heal the way physical injuries do. The dumb ass things we do as kids.....

If you only did it once...but sounds like you made a habit of it.  Puking is definitely a bad sign.

Quoted: Quoted: If you are lucid enough to post, you are fine.  Aspiration of gasoline or its fumes is very harmful due to the very short time to show signs of effect.   But I doubt you got any in your lungs. When I was a dumb young kid, I loved the smell of gasoline.  When i was 10 years old, I 'huffed" the fumes from our snowblower in the garage because I liked the "tickle" feeling I got from it. I remember barely being able to walk, coming in to the house, falling down and puking all over myself.  I only did it once, but over the years I have often wondered if I screwed up my body doing that.  I know that nervous system damage often doesn't heal the way physical injuries do. The dumb ass things we do as kids.....

Reminds me of when I was 16 and working for a pizza place. I got the bright idea to exhale all of the oxygen/air in my lungs and suck in as much helium as I could from the tank for balloons so I could get a better effect. I got REALLY dizzy and nearly blacked out.

That was fun.

I used to love the smell of gasoline fumes when I was a dumb young kid too btw. I never got brave enough to huff them though.

Quoted: If you only did it once...but sounds like you made a habit of it.  Puking is definitely a bad sign.

No, just the one time.  When I said I liked the smell, I meant at gas stations when my Dad was getting gas and stuff.  I think I had a bad headache for like a whole day, and from then until now the smell of gas is something I hate.

Enjoy the wonderful aftertaste of gasoline!

Sorry, but it's probably going to be with you for a couple days if you swallowed any at all.  I ingested some while siphoning gasoline when I was about 13.  NASTY!  I was burping gasoline fumes for days.  Nothing could get rid of that awful taste.  Every time I burped, there it was again in all it's full strength and glory...  Needless to say, I now avoid having to siphon gasoline or other harmful liquids.

on a reality tv show i saw on discovery one time the contestants had to siphon gas out of a tank and into gas cans.. they where instructed to wash there mouths out with milk after every time they sucked the gas out? maybe wash your mouth out with milk? wouldnt hurt

-cchccrowder

You'll go faster on high test.

Try it and post pics...well have someone else post pics, you will be dead!!

How toxic is "regular" gasoline if ingested ?

As toxic as ingesting premium gasoline...

If the gas is mixed with ethanol, you may get a buzz if you swallow enough

did you use the pressure washer to rinse? LOL

just a word of advice
you probably shouldnt try to kiss your wife/gf if you have one she probably wont appreciate it lol

i have done that before too tastes awful and seems to numb your mouth
anyone know why?

Wow thats not a good thing to do.

A little tip I picked up in my sometimes mis-spent youth....don't suck on the hose! Stick the hose in the tank, seal the tank opening with your hand and blow a large lungful INTO the tank. Move the hose from your mouth to the can opening as the pressurized tank now pushes the fuel up the hose.  Keep it lower than the tank and it'll keep coming....Might be a handy skill in post-apopalytic times, LOL.

If it would hurt you I'd be all screwed up. I drove a jeep my first four months in Vietnam, 4,000 plus miles and never got on pavement. Evety ounce of gas I put in that thing I siphoned from 55 gal drums with a 6'section of hose. Got a mouthful of and swallowed it damn near every time.

rk

Quoted: you will die in 8.7 minutes.... it's THAT bad seriously, it's most likely bad news if you swallow it, but getting some in your mouth then immediately spitting it out/rinsing you will be ok.  i've done the same thing.  tasted like shit, but no permenant health effects

Straight from the man, knows what shit tastes like  (Hmmmm????), effected both his spelling and posting fu but other than that no "permanent" effects.