Benzene—a Review of the Literature from a Health Effects Perspective

Abstract

A literature review of the impact on human health of exposure to benzene was conducted. Special emphasis in this report is given to the health effects reported in excess of national norms by participants in the Benzene Subregistry of the National Exposure Registry--people having documented exposure to benzene through the use of benzene-contaminated water for domestic purposes. The health effects reported in excess (p < or = .01) by some or all of the sex and age groups studied were diabetes, kidney disease, respiratory allergies, skin rashes, and urinary tract disorders; anemia was also increased for females, but not significantly so.

The Nature of Chromosomal Aberrations Detected in Humans Exposed to Benzene

“…Many industrial applications have been found for benzene, and since its discovery it has been widely used as an industrial solvent. Today, 98% of the benzene produced is derived from the petrochemical and petroleum refining industries (Gist and Burg, 1997). As a result, human exposure to benzene takes place in factories, refineries, and other industrial settings.…”

“…Benzene, a volatile, colorless, highly flammable liquid, was first discovered in 1825 by Michael Faraday, who isolated it from a liquid condensed from compressed oil gas (Gist and Burg, 1997). Forty years later, after struggling to determine its structural formula, Friedrich Kekulé had a dream one night in which the benzene molecule appeared as a snake biting its tail while in whirling motion; he said, One of the snakes had seized hold of its own tail, and the form whirled mockingly before my eyes .…”

“…Although only a relatively small number of individuals are occupationally exposed to benzene, the general population is exposed to benzene contained in gasoline, automobile exhaust, and diesel fuel (Knott, 1994;Muzyka et al, 1998). Furthermore, benzene is present in cigarette smoke, and smoking is the main source of benzene exposure for many people (Gist and Burg, 1997).…”

Polymorphisms in Cytokine and Cellular Adhesion Molecule Genes and Susceptibility to Hematotoxicity among Workers Exposed to Benzene

“…Chronic benzene exposure causes a range of hematologic disorders, including hematotoxicity, myelodysplatic syndrome, leukemia, and possibly non-Hodgkin lymphoma (1)(2)(3). Although there are ongoing concerns about its health effects (4), benzene continues to be used as a solvent in some countries, with several million workers exposed worldwide (4), and is a component of cigarette smoke, gasoline, crude oil, and automobile emissions (2).…”

“…Although there are ongoing concerns about its health effects (4), benzene continues to be used as a solvent in some countries, with several million workers exposed worldwide (4), and is a component of cigarette smoke, gasoline, crude oil, and automobile emissions (2). Several mechanisms have been suggested to account for benzeneinduced hematotoxicity, including (a) direct toxicity to hematopoietic progenitor cells by genotoxic and cytotoxic metabolites of benzene (5)(6)(7)(8) and (b) poisoning of the bone marrow stromal microenvironment (9,10), whereby shifts in regulatory molecules produced by marrow cells could disrupt normal hematopoiesis (11)(12)(13)(14).…”