Benzene is a carcinogenic substance that is present in a great number of modern products and

industries. It is formed through both natural processes and human activities, but importantly,
high level of exposure to benzene can be quite dangerous. Long-term exposure to high levels of
benzene has been tied to the development of leukemia and other cancers, as well as various
menstrual issues in women and birth defects in their children.  

Because of the dangerousness of the substance, various state departments, including the EPA,
DHHS, and OSHA, regulate the presence of benzene in a variety of contexts. There are short-
term and long-term exposure limits for benzene in the workplace, maximum acceptable benzene
concentrations in drinking water, and exposure limits for benzene that include recommendations
for specialized breathing equipment around higher levels of the compound.

The dangers of benzene mean that you should be alert to the possibility of exposure beyond
acceptable levels. Certainly, over-exposure to benzene in any setting might generate a legal
claim against the institution or person that caused the exposure. If you believe that you have been
exposed to benzene beyond acceptable limits, please consider speaking with a qualified personal
injury attorney to help determine the strength of your claim.

The following is a list of processes, products, activities, occupations, industries, and places
wherein benzene can be found:
Natural Processes That Produce Benzene
 Volcanoes
 Forest fires
Products Containing Benzene
 Paint, lacquer, and varnish removers
 Industrial solvents
 Gasoline and other fuels
 Glues
 Paints
 Furniture wax
 Detergents
 Thinners
 Inks
 Adhesives and coatings
 Rubbers
 Industrial cleaning and degreasing formulations
Activities/Uses Involving Benzene
 Emissions motor vehicle exhaust
 Burning coal and oil
 Painting and lithography
 Dry cleaning
 Making chemicals used to make:
 Plastics
 Resins
 Nylon and synthetic fibers
 Making some types of:
 Lubricants
 Rubbers
 Dyes
 Detergents
 Pharmaceutical drugs
 Agricultural chemicals (pesticides)
Industries Using Benzene
 Petrochemical manufacturing
 Petroleum refining
 Coke and coal chemical manufacturing
 Rubber tire manufacturing
 Gasoline storage, shipment, and retail operations
 Plastics and rubber manufacturing
 Shoe manufacturing
Occupations/People Who May Be Exposed To Benzene
 Steel workers
 Printers
 Rubber workers
 Shoe makers
  Laboratory technicians
 Gasoline service station employees
Places Where Benzene May Be Found
 Air around waste sites and gas service stations
 Contaminated well water, as a result of benzene leaks from underground storage tanks or
hazardous waste sites containing benzene

Benzene overexposure is linked to the development of the following symptoms: drowsiness,

dizziness, rapid or irregular heartbeat, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. If
you’ve experienced these symptoms following exposure to benzene in any of the above listed
contexts, contact your doctor or go directly to a medical facility for testing. 

Medical professionals use several tests to determine whether you’ve been overexposed to

benzene, each of which measures benzene levels in your blood, breath, or urine. All three tests –
urine, blood, and breath – must be performed shortly after exposure, or else benzene levels may
not be accurately indicated by the tests. In urine, benzene detection involves measurement of
benzene metabolites (end products of benzene), some of which can be measured, but this is not a
fully accurate test since there can be numerous other reasons for the presence of similar
metabolites in urine. 

Carcinogenicity

Benzene is a known human carcinogen by regulatory agencies around the world. The IARC
classifies benzene as a Group 1 carcinogen.

Mechanism of Action

Mechanism of action of benzene in hematotoxicity. Benzene suppresses the cell cycle by p53-

mediated overexpression of p21, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, resulting not simply in
suppression of hemopoiesis but rather in a dynamic change of hemopoiesis during and
after benzene exposure.

Target organ

Bone marrow is the target organ for benzene and the liver is the main organ of metabolism for
benzene.

Signs and symptoms of toxicity

Adverse effect of benzene is hematopoietic toxicity, which precedes leukemia. Chronic, high
benzene exposure can lead to bone marrow damage, which may be manifest initially as anemia,
leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, or a combination of these.

Genetic susceptibility or heritable traits

A study in mice either expressing the gene for NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) or
lacking the gene found a 9 fold increase in micronucleated reticulocytes compared with a 3-fold
increase in mice with the gene.

Historical or unique exposures

Because of benzene’s volatility and solvent properties, it was used in the printing industry in
inks, ink solvents, and cleaning agents from the 1930s to the 1970s. Typical benzene air
concentrations, considering both personal and area samples of various durations, were as high as
200 p.p.m. in the 1930s through the 1950s, 3-35 p.p.m. in the 1960s, 1.3-16 p.p.m. in the 1970s,
0.013-1 in the 1980s, and far less than 1 p.p.m. in the 1990s and 2000s.

Treatments

Benzene poisoning needs to be treated with medial care. There is not antidote for benzene
poisoning and the best that can be done is to seek medical attention.

Biomarkers

Benzene in alveolar air, unmetabolized benzene, and ttMA in urine are potential biomarkers for

occupational benzene exposure. The main marker here is the ttMA in urine. It is interesting to
see that benzene itself is used to determine if exposure if significant.