Benzene and Cancer Risk

Introduction

It has been demonstrated that benzene causes human cancer, thus rendering it a known human carcinogen. Leukemia (especially acute myeloid leukemia) and other blood-related malignancies have been linked to an elevated risk of development following prolonged or high-level exposure to benzene.

What Does Benzene Do?

The liquid benzene has an odor of sweetness and is colorless and combustible. It swiftly evaporates when exposed to air. Although benzene can be created by natural processes like volcanoes and forest fires, most individuals are exposed to it because of human activity.

One of the twenty compounds that are most frequently utilized in the US (United States) is benzene. Most of its uses are in the production of other chemicals, such as plastics, resins, lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, medicines, and insecticides. In the past, it was also often employed as a gasoline additive and as a substance used in industry as a solvent (something that can dissolve or extract other things), although these uses have significantly decreased in recent years.

Along with cigarette smoke, benzene is an inherent component of crude oil, gasoline, and, consequently, the exhaust from cars.

How Do Humans Get Exposed to Benzene?

People are primarily exposed by breathing in benzene-containing air. When benzene comes in contact with anything like gasoline, it can also be absorbed through the skin, but this happens less frequently because liquid benzene evaporates so quickly. Benzene exposure is possible for people:

• At a job.

• In the surroundings.

• When utilizing certain consumer goods.

Although high-level exposures have significantly diminished over the last few decades as a result of federal and state laws, the workplace has traditionally been where the highest amounts of exposure have occurred.

• Exposures at Work: Employees who work in benzene-producing or benzene-using businesses may be exposed to it. These include the rubber industry, chemical facilities, oil refineries, shoe factories, and businesses involved with gasoline. Steelworkers, printers, lab technicians, gas station staff, and firefighters are just a few professions that may expose their employees to benzene at work.

• Social Exposures: Benzene can be found in gasoline fumes, car exhaust, some factory pollutants, and wastewater from specific industries. Although benzene is frequently present in the air, most locations typically have relatively low concentrations. In confined spaces with unventilated vapors from paint, glue, solvents, and art supplies, benzene concentrations may be higher. Higher air levels may also be present in places with significant traffic, near gas stations, and next to industrial sources.

A little over half of all benzene exposure in the US comes through cigarette smoke, whether it is one's own or other people's. Rooms with cigarette smoke can have benzene concentrations that are many times greater than usual.

In some foods and contaminated drinking water, although the amounts are often very low, benzene can also expose people.

Can Benzene Lead to Cancer?

A greater risk of cancer, notably leukemia and other blood cell malignancies, has been associated with benzene exposure. There are two primary types of studies used by researchers to ascertain whether a drug causes cancer:

• Observational studies (epidemiologic investigations).

• Laboratory studies (research carried out utilizing cells cultured in Petri dishes or on laboratory animals).

When trying to determine whether anything causes cancer, researchers typically consider both human and laboratory-based studies, because frequently neither type of study offers conclusive evidence on its own.

• Studies on Individuals: Studies of employees exposed to high quantities of benzene, such as those in the shoemaking, oil refining, and chemical industries, have identified higher rates of leukemia, particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

AML (acute myeloid leukemia), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and other blood-related malignancies (such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma) in adults have also been linked in some studies. For certain cancers, the data is, however, not as convincing. The evidence connecting benzene to any other form of cancer is substantially weaker.

• Laboratory Studies: Benzene has been shown to produce several tumor forms in experimental animals like rats and mice when it is ingested or inhaled. The findings of an elevated risk of leukemia in humans are supported by these findings. The majority of human investigations, however, have not discovered an elevated risk of malignancies other than leukemia among individuals with higher exposures.

In a laboratory setting, benzene has been demonstrated to alter the chromosomes of bone marrow cells. The bone marrow produces new blood cells. These modifications are frequently observed in human leukemia cells.

Does Benzene Have Any Other Negative Effects on Health?

A potentially harmful compound is benzene. High exposure levels may have both short and long-term negative health impacts.

1. Temporary or Short-Term Effects: The neurological system can be negatively impacted by high levels of benzene in the air, resulting in headaches, fatigue, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. High amounts of benzene contamination in food and drink can result in nausea, vomiting, stomach discomfort, drowsiness, seizures, and a rapid heartbeat. When inhaled or consumed in excessively high doses, benzene can be lethal under extreme circumstances.

Exposure to benzene liquid or vapor can irritate the skin, eyes, and throat. If benzene comes into touch with the skin, blisters and redness may appear.

2. Long-Term Consequences: Long-term benzene exposure mostly affects the bone marrow. This may lead to the following:

• A person with anemia (low red blood cell count) may experience fatigue and weakness.

• A low white blood cell count may possibly be fatal and reduce the body's capacity to fight diseases.

• A blood platelet count that is too low, which can cause excessive bleeding and bruising.

The reproductive system may be harmed by extended exposure to benzene, according to some studies. There is no way to know for certain whether benzene contributed to the irregular menstrual periods and ovarian shrinkage that some women who inhaled high amounts of the chemical for several months reported. The impact of benzene exposure on male fertility is unknown.

How to Reduce Exposure to Benzene?

It might not be able to totally avoid benzene. However, there are various ways to reduce exposure to benzene if the person is worried about it.

• Avoid being around cigarette smoke. The avoidance of secondhand smoke is also crucial. An important source of benzene exposure is cigarette smoke.

• Use gas stations with vapor recovery equipment to catch the vapors and pump gas carefully. Avoid getting gasoline on the skin.

• Limit the amount of time one spends around idle automobiles. As a result, they may be exposed to less dangerous compounds like benzene, which is present in exhaust fumes.

• Limit or avoid inhaling solvent, paint, and art supply fumes, particularly in stuffy areas.

• Speak with the manager if one is exposed to benzene at work about modifying the procedures (such as switching out the benzene for another solvent or enclosing the source of the benzene) or wearing personal protective equipment to reduce the level of exposure.

What Should Be Done After Getting Exposed to Benzene?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises leaving the location where high amounts of benzene are present, taking off any clothing that may have benzene on it, bathing any exposed skin with soap and water, and seeking immediate medical attention.

Speak to a doctor if the person believes that they may have been exposed to benzene over an extended length of time. Blood, breath, and urine can all be used to measure levels of benzene and its breakdown products. Only recent benzene exposures can be found with these assays. They are unable to accurately determine how much benzene one has been exposed to or forecast potential health impacts.

Conclusion

Exposure to benzene increases the chance of developing cancer, making it imperative to take proactive steps to reduce exposure in both occupational and environmental situations. To reduce the possible risks posed by benzene, it is essential to implement strict laws, adopt safer practices, and raise awareness among workers, consumers, and the general public. Individuals and businesses can work to create safer settings and lower the incidence of benzene-related malignancies by being aware of the connection between benzene and cancer risk.