Long-term exposure may affect bone marrow and blood production. Short-term exposure to high levels of benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, unconsciousness, and death. Exposures to benzene are addressed in specific OSHA standards for general industry, maritime, and construction.
More ». Benzene is also a natural part of crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke. Benzene is widely used in the United States. It ranks in the top 20 chemicals for production volume. Some industries use benzene to make other chemicals that are used to make plastics, resins, and nylon and synthetic fibers.
Benzene is also used to make some types of lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides. How you could be exposed to benzene Outdoor air contains low levels of benzene from tobacco smoke, gas stations, motor vehicle exhaust, and industrial emissions.
Indoor air generally contains levels of benzene higher than those in outdoor air. The benzene in indoor air comes from products that contain benzene such as glues, paints, furniture wax, and detergents. The air around hazardous waste sites or gas stations can contain higher levels of benzene than in other areas. Benzene leaks from underground storage tanks or from hazardous waste sites containing benzene can contaminate well water.
People working in industries that make or use benzene may be exposed to the highest levels of it. A major source of benzene exposure is tobacco smoke. How benzene works Benzene works by causing cells not to work correctly. For example, it can cause bone marrow not to produce enough red blood cells, which can lead to anemia. Also, it can damage the immune system by changing blood levels of antibodies and causing the loss of white blood cells.
The seriousness of poisoning caused by benzene depends on the amount, route, and length of time of exposure, as well as the age and preexisting medical condition of the exposed person. Immediate signs and symptoms of exposure to benzene People who breathe in high levels of benzene may develop the following signs and symptoms within minutes to several hours: Drowsiness Dizziness Rapid or irregular heartbeat Headaches Tremors Confusion Unconsciousness Death at very high levels Eating foods or drinking beverages containing high levels of benzene can cause the following symptoms within minutes to several hours: Vomiting Irritation of the stomach Dizziness Sleepiness Convulsions Rapid or irregular heartbeat Death at very high levels If a person vomits because of swallowing foods or beverages containing benzene, the vomit could be sucked into the lungs and cause breathing problems and coughing.
Direct exposure of the eyes, skin, or lungs to benzene can cause tissue injury and irritation. Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to benzene.
Long-term health effects of exposure to benzene The major effect of benzene from long-term exposure is on the blood. Long-term exposure means exposure of a year or more.
Benzene causes harmful effects on the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance for infection. Some women who breathed high levels of benzene for many months had irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in the size of their ovaries.
It is not known whether benzene exposure affects the developing fetus in pregnant women or fertility in men. Animal studies have shown low birth weights, delayed bone formation, and bone marrow damage when pregnant animals breathed benzene. Although in this study, deaths at low levels of benzene exposure were associated with multiple myeloma and a long latency period, instead of leukaemia, which might justify further lowering of the exposure limit, the risk assessment model has been found to be non-significant for response at low levels of exposure.
The paucity of data for man, the complexity of the metabolic activation of benzene, the interactive and synergistic mechanisms of benzene toxicity and carcinogenicity, the different disease endpoints aplastic anaemia, leukaemia, and multiple myeloma , and different individual susceptibilities, all indicate that in such a complex scenario, regulators should proceed with caution before making further changes to the exposure limit for this chemical.
Abstract Benzene, a common industrial chemical and a component of gasoline, is radiomimetic and exposure may lead progressively to aplastic anaemia, leukaemia, and multiple myeloma.
Publication types Review.
0コメント