What is Benzene?

Benzene is a colorless, aromatic liquid that evaporates rapidly under ordinary atmospheric conditions. The great majority of the benzene produced in the United States is produced by the petroleum and petrochemical industries, with the remainder produced by the steel industry as a byproduct of coking operations. Once used as a solvent itself, benzene is today a common component of solvents, de-greasers and mineral spirits. It is also contained in products used to clean and de-grease tools, clean machine parts, and de-rust metal parts. Benzene is also used in the production of plastics, rubber, resins, nylon, glues, dyes, paints, detergents and pesticides. It naturally occurs in crude oil and is a component of petroleum products such as gasoline.

Benzene is a toxic substance. The Environmental Protection Agency has classified benzene as a known human carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) have also determined that benzene is a human carcinogen. Work-related exposure to benzene has been linked to the development of blood cancers and blood disorders several years after exposure. Examples of blood diseases caused by occupational benzene exposure include acute myelogenous leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome (which can progress into acute myelogenous leukemia over time), aplastic anemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, chronic myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

For over 29 years, the law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C. has fought to safeguard the rights of victims of toxic substances like benzene. The Leukemia Lawyer Web site is a service of Baron & Budd, P.C.