Review of Literature on Health Effects of Corn Oil and Its Oxidation Products

摘要

This report summarizes the health effects of inhaling aerosolized corn oil and its oxidation products. Literature reports that inhalation of aerosolized oils, including vegetable oils, can elicit lipoid pneumonia, promote proliferative fibrosis in the lungs, and result in the development of respiratory insufficiency that may lead to corpulmonale or educe carcinomas; however, none of these were specifically attributed to the inhalation of corn oil. Investigation of inhalation toxicity to mice of refined corn oil aerosol, at rates 300 to 600 times greater than those used in the representative testing in the exposure chamber operated by the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, revealed that oil droplets were immediately phagocytosed by macrophages, resulting in nearly complete clearing of the lungs of corn oil droplets within 48 h with no inflammatory effects. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports that corn oil has been proven effective as an inward leakage test agent for personal protective equipment because it does not put the test subject at risk and does not have inherent dangers with storage or handling. Autooxidation of corn oil at room temperature is inconsequential in short-term (months) storage but can produce potentially harmful compounds during long-term (years) storage.