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Chronic benzene poisoning can lead to serious health conditions and several forms of cancer. Benzene is a prolific carcinogen that can be found in the air, water, contaminated food sources, gasoline, household products, and much more. Workers in a variety of industries are most at risk for chronic benzene poisoning. It is estimated that, despite government regulations, approximately three million workers are exposed to dangerous levels of benzene every year. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 500,000 adults are subject to dangerous benzene vapors each year. Chronic benzene poisoning occurs when a person is exposed to low levels of benzene in the air, water, or food for an extended period of time.
The inhalation of benzene vapors in the air is the most common method of both acute and chronic benzene poisoning. Workers in the following industries may be at risk for chronic benzene poisoning: railroad, automobile, coke oven factories, print shops, and any industrial operations that involve the production of household products, gas, plastic, rubber, dyes, detergents, glue, pesticides, and some drugs.
Because of the risk of acute and chronic benzene poisoning, the EPA and the OSHA have established maximum levels of benzene permissible in different environments. The Environmental Protection Agency has mandated that levels of benzene in both the air and drinking water cannot exceed five parts per billion. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has also set permissible levels of benzene exposure in the workplace in order to mitigate the risks of chronic benzene poisoning. The exposure limit in any given eight hour work day cannot exceed one part per million and corrective action must be implemented if levels exceed 0.5 parts per million. Benzene levels may also not exceed five parts per million during any fifteen minute period during the course of a work day.
The symptoms of chronic benzene poisoning are often vague, deceptive, and often difficult to identify. People who suffer from chronic benzene poisoning may present some or all of the following symptoms: fatigue, dizziness, headaches, nausea, a decreased appetite, and emotional problems. Symptoms of chronic benzene poisoning can occur early or can take a long time to develop. Over time chronic benzene poisoning can become serious and life threatening.
Chronic benzene poisoning can lead to chromosomal changes, CNS depression, immunological problems, damage to the hematopoietic (blood) system, anemia, and even leukemia. The most common type of leukemia caused by chronic benzene poisoning is acute myelogenous leukemia. Ten thousand new cases of this type of cancer are diagnosed each year. Leukemia is a cancer of the blood which compromises bone marrow functioning and hinders the body''s ability to adequately produce blood cells and their constituents. There are tests of the blood and urine that can be performed by a medical professional to determine if a person has suffered ill health effects as a result of chronic benzene poisoning.
A recent study conducted by the Conservation Alabama Foundation (CAF) has found that four of Alabama's largest cities contain highly polluted air, including high levels of benzene. Amo...
Texas couple Jan and James Callihan filed a lawsuit against six petrochemical companies, claiming the products the defendants produce and distribute exposed James to unsafe levels of benzene. They allege this exposure is what caused J...
Three-term Houston Mayor Bill White has recently found a creative way to try to force certain industries into making changes that would reduce their excessive benzene emissions – by interfering with the renewal of their operating permits.
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