Benzene

By Taylor Hatchett

What is Benzene?

• Chemical• Colorless or light yellow• Liquid at room temperature• Has a sweet odor • Highly flammable• Evaporates quickly into air

What is Benzene?

• Vapor is heavier than air• May sink into low-lying areas• Dissolves slightly in water• Will float on top of water

How Benzene Works

• Causes cells not to work correctly• Can cause bone marrow not to produce

enough red blood cells• Can lead to anemia.

• Can damage the immune system• Changes blood levels of antibodies • Causes the loss of white blood cells

How Benzene Works• Seriousness of poisoning

depends on:–Amount, route, and length of time

of exposure–Age and preexisting medical

conditions

Signs of Exposure• People who breathe in high levels:–Within minutes to several hours:

– Drowsiness– Dizziness– Rapid or irregular heartbeat– Headaches– Tremors– Confusion–Unconsciousness– Death (at very high levels)

Signs of Exposure• Eating foods or drinking beverages containing

high levels:– Within minutes to several hours: • Vomiting• Irritation of the stomach• Dizziness• Sleepiness• Convulsions• Rapid or irregular heartbeat• Death (at very high levels)

Signs of Exposure• If a person vomits because of

swallowing foods or beverages containing benzene:– Vomit could be sucked into the lungs• Causes breathing problems and coughing

• Direct exposure of the eyes, skin, or lungs:–Causes tissue injury and irritation.

Long Term Health Effects• Exposure of one year or more• Major effect is in the blood• Harmful to bone marrow– Disallowing reproduction of red blood cells– Leads to anemia

• Excessive bleeding• Harmful to immune system, allowing

great risk for infections

Long Term Health Effects• After breathing in for many months:–Some women had irregular menstrual

periods –Some woman had a decrease in the size of

their ovaries–Animal studies in pregnant females show:• low birth weights• delayed bone formation• and bone marrow damage

Long Term Health Effects• The Department of Health and

Human Services (DHHS) determines:–Causes cancer in humans–In the air causes:• Leukemia• Cancer of the blood-forming organs

Where is it found?• Formed by:–Natural processes–Human activities

• Natural Sources:–Volcanoes –Forest fires

Where is it found?• Human Sources:–Crude oil–Gasoline–Cigarette smoke

• Widely used in U.S.

Uses• Used to make:– Plastics– Resins– Nylon and synthetic fibers – lubricants– Rubbers– Dyes– Detergents– Drugs– Pesticides

How You Can Be Exposed• Outdoor Air (Low Levels):– Tobacco smoke– Gas stations– Motor vehicle exhaust– Industrial emissions

• Indoor Air (Higher Levels than Outside):– Glues– Paints– Furniture wax– Detergents.

How You Can Be Exposed• The air around hazardous waste sites• Contaminated well water–Breaks in underground storage tanks–Hazardous waste sites

• Working in industries that use Benzene• Smoking tobacco

Benzene Madness

• http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/automobiles/a/benzene_in_car.htm

• http://youtu.be/nCMjY9AqiBw

Sources

• http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/benzene/basics/facts.asp

• www.legalinfo.com • Youtube