The systemic toxicity of a coal coprocessing product [heavy gas oil II (HGOII)] following subchronic, dermal exposure in male Sprague-Dawley rats was investigated. HGOII was applied to the dorsal skin daily at doses of 8.7, 20.8, 50.0, or 120.0 mg/kg body weight (bw) for 13 weeks. Another group of rats treated with a medium boiling coal liquefaction product (CLP) served as positive controls. Growth suppression and decreased food consumption were noted in the groups exposed to HGOII at 20.8 mg/kg and higher, and to CLP starting at the third week of treatment. Relative liver, kidney, and brain weights in the 20.8 mg/kg HGOII group and up were higher than those of the control. Increased spleen weight was observed in all HGOII-treated groups. CLP treatment also caused increased relative kidney and brain weights. Serum cholesterol was elevated in the HGOII-treated groups starting at 8.7 mg/kg while increased uric acid and lactate dehydrogenase were observed at 20.8 mg/kg and up. Decreased erythrocyte, hemoglobin, and platelet counts were observed at 20.8 mg/kg and higher. All HGOII-treated groups had elevated reticulocytes. These biochemical and hematological changes were not observed in the CLP-treated group. Mild to marked histological changes were observed in the thyroid, thymus, liver, spleen, and bone marrow of HGOII groups. In contrast, morphological changes were relatively mild in CLP-treated animals. Data from the present study demonstrated that the hematological endpoints were sensitive to the liquid fuels and that HGOII was more toxic than CLP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)