ABSTRACT
Hydrocarbons comprise a broad group of organic compounds that contain only hydrogen and carbon. They may be divided into two large categories: aliphatic (straight chain) or aromatic (benzene ring) compounds. Another group, which is of great toxicologic significance, consists of halogenated aliphatic and arpmatic hydrocarbons. Some of these are discussed in this chapter; others, such as organochlorine insecticides, are described in other chapters. Hydrocarbons commonly encountered in acute poisonings consist of a mixture of saturated and unsaturated, aliphatic, ali-cyclic, or aromatic compounds and are usually distillates of crude oil, coal tar, and pine wood. Examples of each of these groups are presented in Table 7.1. Hydrocarbon classification
Aliphatic
Gases — methane, propane, butane
Liquids — hexane, octane, etc.
Waxes — paraffins
Aromatfcs
Benzene, toluene, xylene, styrene, vinyl chloride
Halogenated
Aliphatic — chloroform, carbon tetrachloride methylene chloride
Aromatic — DOT, a chlordane, lindane, p-dichtorobenzene, polychlorinated biphenyls
Petroleum distillates
Petroleum ether (benzine), gasoline, naphtha kerosene, fuel oil, lubricating oil, paraffin, asphalt
Distillates of pine wood
Turpentine
Distillates of coal tar
Benzene, cumene, toluene, xylene
DDT, dichlorodlphenyltrichloroethane.
