Benzene Exposure Linked to Blood Changes

[dArKeR]

Blood changes, including a steep decline in disease-fighting white cells, have been found in workers persistently exposed to low levels of benzene, a common industrial chemical known to pose a leukemia risk at high concentrations.

Researchers reported Thursday in the journal Science that workers in a Chinese shoe factory exposed to less than one part per million of benzene experienced a significant decline of white cells and found their blood-forming cells were less vigorous than normal.

U.S. occupational guidelines limit benzene exposure to one part per million, but the study found changes in the blood from lower exposure.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041203/ap_on_he_me/benzene_exposure

[daleo]

1. I had thought since high school that benzene was dangerous

I seem to recall warnings about it back in high school chemistry class, many years ago.

[NYC]

2. I see the U.S. limits are higher than the amount

considered dangerous.

[elderly man]

3. Most industrial chem labs have cautioned the use of benzene

and carbon tetrachloride for at least 50 years.

[Soopercali]

4. If you get fake nails...

Or work in a beauty shop where they're doing them, that's one of the chemicals you're breathing.

[mulethree]

5. Its in the acetone nail polish remover

So it's not just the acrylic nails places but 'regular' manicures and home nail-painting too. Most 'pure' acetones are about 0.3% benzene and it's dangerous at levels that are 0.1% of the danger levels for acetone.

The really stinky stuff in acrylic shops is ethyl methacrylate which stays around a long time. Some shops are probably above the 8 hour exposure guidelines for this. Causes nose,eye,throat irritation.

Some non-acetone polish removers are Methyl Ethyl Ketone which is pretty nasty - don't soak your fingertips in this stuff!

The worst are hair dyes and perms that contain "DIAMINEs","ethanolamine", "benzedine", or "THIOGLYCOLs". But people wear gloves when working with them and customers have pretty brief and intermittent contact with them; whereas the stuff up above involves skin contact and inhalation.

Sorry to get verbose, but I happen to have studied this stuff recently when designing charcoal air cleaners for my wifes' salons.

Oh and the filing/buffing dust from acrylic nails is no good either.

[mulethree]

6. x

[mulethree]

8. The US limit isn't for 7 x 14hour days a week

Theres different limits for different lengths and frequencies of exposure. The 1ppm limit is for 8 hour time weighted average.

[BareskinMatt]

7. Dang! I found the same problem with Ethel and my blood changes :-)

It seems to recede in the AM but it takes either a gallon of water or another eighteen pack of same to put things right.