How poisonous is benzene?
Long-term health effects of exposure to benzene Benzene causes harmful effects on the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance for infection.
At what level is benzene harmful?
Brief exposure (5–10 minutes) to very high levels of benzene in air (10,000–20,000 ppm) can result in death. Lower levels (700–3,000 ppm) can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness.
What are the chronic toxicological effects of benzene?
Summary of Health Effects Acute exposure to relatively high concentrations of benzene (benzol) may result in CNS disturbances consistent with solvent exposure, viz., drowsiness, dizziness, headache, tremor, delirium, ataxia, loss of consciousness, respiratory arrest and death [1].
Is benzene acutely toxic?
Acute toxic effects can result from ingestion of benzene. A burning sensation of the oral mucous membranes, esophagus, and stomach may occur after ingestion. Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain may also result from oral ingestion.
What happens if you consume benzene?
Consuming foods or fluids contaminated with high levels of benzene can cause vomiting, stomach irritation, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions, and rapid heart rate. In extreme cases, inhaling or swallowing very high levels of benzene can be deadly.
What happens if you are exposed to benzene?
Benzene poisoning can be lethal because it causes the cells in the body to work incorrectly. Benzene exposure can cause bone marrow cells to not produce red blood cells or it can can cause the white blood cells of your immune system to fail.
What is a high level of benzene?
OSHA limits exposure to benzene in the air in most workplaces to 1 ppm (part per million) during an average workday and a maximum of 5 ppm over any 15-minute period. When working at potentially higher exposure levels, OSHA requires employers to provide personal protective equipment such as respirators.
What is considered long term exposure to benzene?
Long-term exposure of over a year or more to benzene is not safe. These effects can be devastating to the body and cause significant harm to an individual’s blood. It can cause excessive bleeding, a significantly reduced and ineffective immune system and anemia.
What are four known health effects of benzene exposure?
Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure of humans to benzene may cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, as well as eye, skin, and respiratory tract irritation, and, at high levels, unconsciousness.
Does benzene leave the body?
Most of the metabolites of benzene leave the body in the urine within 48 hours after exposure.
How do you neutralize benzene?
The level of benzene in blood can be efficiently reduced, an its noxious effect neutralized, by the concurrent administration of either of two groups of organic compounds: 1) methyl donors such as choline and betaine; and, 2) cysteine-HCL.
What are the effects of benzene poisoning?
Also, it can damage the immune system by changing blood levels of antibodies and causing the loss of white blood cells. The seriousness of poisoning caused by benzene depends on the amount, route, and length of time of exposure, as well as the age and preexisting medical condition of the exposed person.
What are the causes of benzene exposure?
Benzene leaks from underground storage tanks or from hazardous waste sites containing benzene can contaminate well water. People working in industries that make or use benzene may be exposed to the highest levels of it. A major source of benzene exposure is tobacco smoke. Benzene works by causing cells not to work correctly.
How many C-carbon bonds are there in benzene?
The various representations of benzene. X-ray diffraction shows that all six carbon-carbon bonds in benzene are of the same length, at 140 picometres (pm). The C–C bond lengths are greater than a double bond (135 pm) but shorter than a single bond (147 pm).
What is benzene?
What benzene is. 1 Benzene is a chemical that is a colorless or light yellow liquid at room temperature. It has a sweet odor and is highly flammable. 2 Benzene evaporates into the air very quickly. Its vapor is heavier than air and may sink into low-lying areas. 3 Benzene dissolves only slightly in water and will float on top of water.