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more_legal_areas butadieneButadiene, known chemically as 1,3-butadiene, is a chemical made from the processing of petroleum. About 75 percent of the butadiene manufactured in the United States is used to make synthetic rubber, most often used to make tires for cars and trucks. Butadiene is also used in the manufacturing of plastics and acrylics; a small amount is found in gasoline.
As a gas, butadiene can enter the environment through leaks during production, use, storage, transport or disposal. Although it breaks down quickly into the air, people can still be exposed to butadiene by breathing in contaminated air, usually in or around manufacturing plants. Levels of butadiene in urban and suburban areas are usually low, unless the area is especially polluted.
Exposure to butadiene most commonly occurs in plant workers who breathe contaminated air in the workplace. Contaminated air from car and truck exhaust, waste incineration, wood fires and cigarette smoke can also cause butadiene exposure, as can the consumption of contaminated water near butadiene production or waste sites. In rare cases, low levels of butadiene exposure can occur through skin contact with gasoline or ingestion of food contained in plastic or rubber containers.
Adverse reactions to butadiene can occur in people who were exposed to high levels of the chemical for even a short period of time. Possible reactions can include central nervous system damage, blurred vision, nausea, fatigue, headache, decreased blood pressure and pulse rate, and unconsciousness. While death from accidental exposure to high levels of butadiene has not been recorded, it is a possibility, as the chemical can be fatally toxic.
Low-level exposure to butadiene can also cause negative reactions, such as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. Reactions from skin contact include frostbite and irritation. Studies have also shown that prolonged exposure to butadiene may cause an increase in heart and lung damage.
It is also expected that butadiene can cause birth defects, kidney and liver disease. The Department of Health and Human Services has stated that butadiene can be anticipated as a carcinogen.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that for the first time in five years toxic chemical pollution from factories, power plants, and other industrial facilities increased in 2002. According to an environmental group, the EPA has dra...