Benzene Litigation
Almost 300,000 people per year are exposed to Benzene in the workplace. Benzene exposure is responsible for over 10,000 deaths per year in the United States. In the US, Benzene ranks in the top 20 chemicals for production volume and is sixth on the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Hazardous Substance list.
What is Benzene?
What does Benzene Do?
How is Benzene Used and Who is at Risk?
What are the Short and Long Term Health Hazards of Exposure to Benzene?
How great is the risk?
Who needs to be examined?
Individuals Exposed to Benzene Should
What is Benzene?
Benzene, or Benzol, is a colorless, organic chemical compound with a sweet odor. It is highly flammable and a known carcinogen. It is formed both naturally and by humans. The use of Benzene is now limited in gasoline but it is an important industrial solvent and precursor in the production of many plastics, synthetic rubber, dyes and drugs. It is a natural component of crude oil and cigarette smoke.
What Does Benzene Do?
Benzene can cause leukemia in people who are exposed to it. Adverse health effects are possible even if a person only comes in contact with small amounts, although the risk significantly rises with greater exposure. Benzene usually enters the body through the skin, by drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated food or through inhalation. Once inside the body, Benzene enters the bloodstream and is carried into the bone marrow and fatty tissues. Benzene targets the liver, kidney, lung, heart and the brain and can cause DNA strand breaks and chromosomal damage.
How is Benzene Used and Who is at Risk?
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Benzene was used as an after-shave lotion because of its pleasant smell. Prior to the 1920s, it was frequently used as an industrial solvent, especially for degreasing metal. Benzene was historically found as a significant component in many consumer products. Until the late 1970s, many hardware stores, paint stores, and other retail outlets sold Benzene in small cans, such as quart size, for general-purpose use. Additionally, many students were exposed to Benzene in school and university courses while performing laboratory experiments with little or no ventilation. Below is a list of products where Benzene is commonly found:
- Adhesives
- Asphalts
- Calibrating Fluid
- Charcoal Lighter Fluid
- Cigarette Lighter Fluid
- Contact Cements
- Gasoline
- Glues
- Kerosene
- Hydraulic Fluids
- Inks and Ink Markers
- Lacquer Thinner
- Pesticides
- Penetrating Oils
- Processing Film
- Rubber Cement
- Solvents
- Vinyl Thinner
Those at the highest risk are people who work or have worked in the following industries:
- Adhesive Production
- Barge/Ship Chemical Workers
- Dock Workers
- Gasoline Distribution
- Industrial Plant Workers
- Newspaper Press Workers
- Offshore and Oil Workers
- Painters
- Paper and Pulp Workers
- Pesticide Manufacturing
- Pipefitters
- Printers
- Refinery Workers
- Rubber Workers
- Shoe / Leather Workers
- Synthetic Rubber Production
- Tanker Men
- Truck Drivers
What are the Short and Long Term Health Hazards of Exposure to Benzene?
Effects of short term exposure include:
- Confusion
- Sleepiness
- Rapid pulse
- Loss of consciousness
- Anemia
- Damage to the nervous system
- Suppression of the immune system
- Tremors
- Vomiting
- Convulsions
- Death with high levels of exposure
Effects of long term exposure include:
- Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) – the most common type of acute leukemia, AML is a slow progressing blood and bone marrow disease. AML is also referred to as acute myeloblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, acute granulocytic leukemia or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia.
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) – A group of diseases in which the bone marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells.
- Lymphoma - A group of cancers that affect the cells of the immune system. Lymphoma primarily affects cells involved in the lymphatic system of the body.
- Secondary Aplastic Anemia - failure of bone marrow to make enough blood cells. All blood cell types are affected.
- Damage to the reproductive system
For more complete lists, please contact us.
How great is the risk?
Exposure to Benzene can occur one of three ways: at work, in the general environment and through the use of some consumer products. There are two means of exposure to Benzene: inhalation and absorption through the skin. The greatest risk for exposure in high doses comes from the workplace while the most common exposure in low doses comes from the general environment. Because liquid Benzene evaporates quickly, skin absorption is less common, making the primary route of exposure inhalation.
Who needs to be examined?
People working with petroleum solvents containing Benzene are at the greatest risk because Benzene remains in use in most petroleum solvents. By using the solvent, workers may come into contact by breathing it into their lungs or may absorb it through their skin when applying the solvent. However, if you have come into contact with Benzene and experience any one of the above short term exposure effects, see a doctor immediately as Benzene rapidly disappears from the body and can usually only be detected shortly after exposure. Several tests can determine exposure to Benzene including samples of breath, blood and urine.
Individuals Exposed to Benzene Should:
- Stop Smoking.
- Get regular health checkups. Successful treatment, like most diseases, lies in early detection.
- Get prompt medical attention if you experience any of the above short term exposure effects.
- Take preventative measures when working around benzene. Be sure to use all protective equipment and follow all safe work practices and procedures.
If you or a loved one has been exposed to Benzene, please contact us to discuss your potential case.
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