Is a Gasoline Smell in the House Dangerous?

It can be. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says that if you can smell gasoline in your home, there is a potential health hazard. It says gasoline vapors are heavier than air, so dangerous levels can build up in basements and other low areas where it is stored indoors, and that an explosion is possible if the vapors are lit by a spark or flame, such as the pilot light in a water heater, stove or furnace.

ATSDR describes gasoline as a very flammable manufactured mixture refined from petroleum that typically contains more than 150 chemicals, including small amounts of benzene, toluene, xylene and sometimes lead. It says breathing high levels of gasoline for short periods or swallowing large amounts may harm the nervous system, with serious effects including coma and the inability to breathe and less serious effects including dizziness and headaches. ATSDR also says long-term exposure to benzene, one of gasoline's components, can result in bone marrow cancers, including acute myelogenous leukemia.

Store it outside. Wisconsin's health department suggests storing gasoline outside the home to prevent irritation and nervous system effects and to reduce fire hazards and vapors entering the home, and the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal's office says to store gasoline only outside the home, such as in a locked shed, always in an approved container, and never in the home or basement. The EPA says petroleum vapor intrusion happens when vapors from gasoline, diesel or jet fuel move from underground sources into a building, raising concerns about explosive vapor concentrations and health effects from breathing toxic chemicals.