Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndrome and How it's Related to Benzene Exposure

It entirely depends on the length of time, amount of benzene-containing products that you’ve been exposed to and the type of exposure (inhalation, skin contact and ingestion).

The two main sources of common contact with benzene are gasoline and cigarette smoke. Avoiding contact to these two main sources will decrease your exposure.

Various products contain benzene that are used in cleaning, auto, printing, painting and other industries. Check your product labels and do research on ingredients that may contain benzene before use. Find lists of products that contain benzene and avoid any exposure if possible.

Common ways to reduce your exposure are:

• Increase the Ventilation in the work area
• Use Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)
• Ask what chemicals are in your work area
• Avoid products that contain benzene

Benzene produces damaging effects on the bone marrow and can lead to a decrease in red blood cells, therefore leading to anemia and other symptoms. Further exposure can lead to certain types of leukemia like AML, MDS and AA.

The most common way is avoiding any contact with products and areas that contain benzene. Benzene is widely used in the United States, and ranks in the top 20 chemicals for production volume.

Unfortunately we are all exposed in cleaning products, gasoline and other environmental factors like air and water. Some of these exposures are unavoidable, but there are also preventable measures you can take - for example, if you live near a manufacturing plant and suspect water contamination, have your water tested. If you have air contamination, move away from the area.

Benzene is a clear, liquid, petroleum-based chemical that has a sweet smell to it. Poisoning happens when benzene is swallowed, inhaled or touches the benzene liquid.

For high levels of contact and it's known that benzene was released in the air, leave the area as soon as possible and get fresh air. When directly exposed to benzene on clothing or skin, remove your clothing immediately, wash your entire body with soap and water and get medical attention as quickly as possible.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is part of the World Health Organization (WHO), and one of their objectives is to find the causes of cancer. IARC classifies benzene as “carcinogenic to humans,” based on sufficient evidence that benzene causes acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Benzene is not efficiently metabolized in the body, and oxidizes to produce benzene oxide which isn’t excreted well and bioaccumulates over time. This causes DNA to produce harmful mutations and eventually can lead to the bone marrow making immature white blood cells (or blasts).

Benzene exposure produces DNA cell mutations to occur in the bone marrow, leading to the types of cancer mentioned above.

Exposure to benzene for a year or more can lead to abnormalities in the blood, which can eventually lead to cancer.

Per OSHA and available research, the maximum allowable amount of benzene in workroom air during an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek is 1 ppm. Because benzene exposure can cause cancer, no level of benzene is safe in any amounts. NIOSH recommends if exposure has occurred, they advise all workers to use special breathing equipment that exceeds the 8-hour exposure limit of 0.1 ppm.