| If you have been exposed to benzene while at work and are now suffering serious health conditions such as ACUTE MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA, please Contact a Benzene Lawyer.
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| Benzene Related Illnesses • Blood disorders Benzene Exposure Can Cause |
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Benzene Associated to Many Health Effects |
History of Benzene Standards
May 31, 1977
"A large number of Americans could be exposed to measurable concentrations of benzene in the ambient air, and while these ambient levels are substantially lower than those affecting workers, there is reason to believe that ambient exposures may constitute a cancer risk and should be reduced."
-Douglas Costle, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator.
Benzene is one of the largest volume chemicals produced in the U.S. and is used in many different chemical and industrial processes and in automobile gasoline. Benzene is responsible for emitting as much as 260 million pounds into the atmosphere of the 11 billion pound manufactured in 1976. The benzene emissions are the result of chemical manufacturing facilities, petroleum refineries, gasoline storage handling and marketing facilities, coke ovens, and automobiles.
The EPA has put benzene on the lists of hazardous air pollutants based on scientific reports that strongly suggest that humans exposed to benzene can develop leukemia. Listing benzene is the first step to regulate the organic chemical under the Clean Air Act. The EPA administrator, Douglas Costle, said that the EPA would begin a thorough review of current scientific data on benzene in order to determine the health risks from benzene in outside air. The EPA will make decisions on which sources of benzene emissions should be controlled and at what extent after health risk assessments are completed.
The Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, Dr. Eula Bingham, finds the EPA's actions welcome in aiding their efforts to reduce the amount of workplace benzene exposure. Bingham stated that, "Our emergency standard and our proposed permanent standard raise the issue of worker exposure in places where public exposure is also potentially harmful." Scientific reports now show that an increased incidence of leukemia can occur with benzene exposure. An April, 1977 National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Administration study has indicated that workers exposed to benzene have a high incidence of leukemia. OSHA is trying to reduce the amount of allowable workplace benzene exposure levels.
Law requires that within six months of today's listing, the EPA must issue a proposed standard for benzene and hold a public hearing regarding the benzene proposals. Final benzene standards must be determined no later than six months after the proposal.
-EPA Press Release, 5/31/77
For more information regarding your rights and benzene exposure, please contact us.
Workplace Benzene Exposure Limits
OSHA- The legal airborne permissible exposure limit is 1 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift and 5 ppm not to be exceeded during any 15-minute work period.
NIOSH- The recommended airborne exposure limit is 0.1 ppm averaged over a 10-hour workshift and 1 ppm not to be exceeded during any 15-minute work period.
ACGIH- The recommended airborne exposure limit is 0.5 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift and 2.5 ppm as a short-term exposure limit.
Because benzene has been identified as a human carcinogen, all
exposure to the dangerous chemical should be completely avoided if possible
because there is no safe level of benzene exposure. Further because,
the identified levels of benzene exposure are in regards to air levels, skin
contact may overexpose an individual.
If you have been exposed to benzene while at work and are now suffering serious health conditions such as such as acute myelogenous leukemia, please Contact a Benzene Lawyer .