What is Benzene?

Benzene is a continuous compound present in nature.ensure that Benzene levels in drinks and food items
It is harmful to human life, which makes it ado not pose a serious health risk. Products with
dangerous substance. Read more about how itBenzene give off fumes into the air, where people
affects all of our daily lives. Benzene is a liquid thatget exposed to the substance. Some examples are
does not have any color and is distinguishable by apaint, glue and gasoline fumes, and cigarette smoke.
sweet aroma. It dissolves incompletely in water andShort-term symptoms of the exposure include skin
will evaporate fast when exposed to air. Although itirritation, drowsiness and dizziness.
has already been declared to be harmful some 6oPeople who work in factories with closed-in areas
years ago, it is still in use in manufacturing industriesthat expose them to high levels of Benzene are in
nowadays.serious health risks - this can even lead to death.
The use of Benzene may not be thought of much asAfter exposure to Benzene, it gets absorbed into a
it is not used in its natural form. However, it is safeperson's bloodstream, where it can wreak havoc and
to know which products are used with Benzene inresult to diseases of the blood like leukemia and AML
the manufacturing process. Benzene is used in items(acute myelogenous leukemia). AML is commonly
we use every day. It is also used in making gasoline,found in adults who are more than 60 years old, and
which is in turn used to give power to machines thatsome of the symptoms include excessive bleeding,
need fuel, such as lawn mowers and cars. It is alsofever, joint pain, weight loss and tiredness.
used in adhesives, glues, paint, synthetic rubber,Other diseases that have been associated with
household cleaning supplies; Benzene is the oneBenzene use are aplastic anemia, non-Hodgkins
responsible for the strong and foul fumes everydaylymphoma (NHL) and myelodysplastic syndrome
items emit.(MDS). Non-Hodgkins lymphoma attacks the body's
There is a huge possibility that every house has alymph system; while MDS is not a form of cancer, it
product with Benzene as an agent. The EPA and FDAcan lead to AML over time.