What is Benzene?
Benzene is a naturally occurring and man-made chemical known to be a carcinogen.
Benzene is colorless or light yellow liquid at room temperature.
It has a sweet odor and is highly flammable.
Humans are exposed in a variety of ways around the world.
Natural sources of benzene include volcanoes and forest fires.
Benzene is also used in the production of, or found in:
- Crude oil
- Gasoline
- Plastics
- Dyes
- Detergents
- Pesticides
- Drugs
- Cigarette smoke
Benzene is one of the most widely used chemicals in the United States.
Benzene Exposure
Benzene exposure can occur through inhalation, ingestion, and skin absorption.
Exposure to high amounts of benzene can result in leukemia, blood cancer of the bone marrow and life-threatening blood disorders.
Specifically, benzene exposure can cause bone marrow to produce fewer red blood cells, which can lead to anemia.
Benzene can also damage the immune system by changing blood levels of antibodies and causing the loss of white blood cells.
Short-Term Benzene Exposure Symptoms
Inhaling high levels of benzene can result in the following symptoms:
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Irregular heartbeat
- Headaches
- Tremors
- Confusion
- Unconsciousness
- Death (at very high levels)
Additionally, eating food or drinking beverages that contain high levels of benzene may lead to:
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Convulsions
- Irregular heartbeat
- Death (at very high levels)
Long-Term Benzene Exposure Health Effects
As mentioned previously, benzene can cause various cancers and extreme health effects on the blood and bone marrow.
There are multiple studies and more being conducted on the effects of benzene exposure.
Animal tests have shown how damaging the chemical can be.
Specifically, there is sufficient evidence that benzene exposure at high levels can cause acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
AML is a fast-growing type of leukemia that first affects bone marrow then moves onto the blood, with potential to spread to the:
- Lymph nodes
- Liver
- Spleen
- Brain
- Spinal cord
- Testicles
There is also some evidence that points to benzene causing acute and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
Mitigating Benzene Risk and What to do if Exposed
It can often be difficult pinpointing sources of benzene exposure if you are not knowingly in contact with the chemical on a regular basis.
In this case, it’s important to educate yourself on the varying sources of benzene and to keep an eye out for news regarding products that incidentally contain the chemical.
If you work in an industrial setting where benzene is an integral chemical in production, follow all recommended safety precautions from your employer.
Further, if you are exposed to a dangerous amount of benzene in a short period of time, follow this guidance from the CDC:
- Remove all clothing that may have benzene on it. Any clothing that has to be pulled over the head should be cut off the body instead. If you are helping other people remove their clothing, try to avoid touching any contaminated areas, and remove the clothing as quickly as possible.
- As quickly as possible, wash any benzene from your skin with large amounts of soap and water. Washing with soap and water will help protect people from any chemicals on their bodies.
- If your eyes are burning or your vision is blurred, rinse your eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes. If you wear contacts, remove them after washing your hands and put them with the contaminated clothing. Do not put the contacts back in your eyes (even if they are not disposable contacts). If you wear eyeglasses, wash them with soap and water. You can put your eyeglasses back on after you wash them.
- After you have washed yourself, place your clothing inside a plastic bag. Avoid touching contaminated areas of the clothing. If you can’t avoid touching contaminated areas, or you aren’t sure where the contaminated areas are, wear rubber gloves or put the clothing in the bag using tongs, tool handles, sticks, or similar objects. Anything that touches the contaminated clothing should also be placed in the bag.
- Seal the bag, and then seal that bag inside another plastic bag. Disposing of your clothing in this way will help protect you and other people from any chemicals that might be on your clothes.
- When the local or state health department or emergency personnel arrive, tell them what you did with your clothes. The health department or emergency personnel will arrange for further disposal. Do not handle the plastic bags yourself.
Recalled Procter & Gamble Hair Care Products
Procter & Gamble says that while benzene was not an ingredient in any of the products, their review found that propellant used to spray the products from cans contained unexpected levels of benzene.
What Products Containing Benzene are Recalled?
32 products are recalled, all are either aerosol shampoos or conditioners from product lines such as Pantene, Old Spice, Herbal Essences, Waterless, Aussie, and Hair Food.
The following thirty-two (32) products have been recalled for containing benzene:
Pantene:
- Sultry Bronde All in One Luxury Mist 4.9oz
- Smooth Talker Dry Conditioning Oil 3.9oz
- Mist Behaving Dry Conditioning Mist 3.9oz
- Gold Series Instant Nourishing Spray 4.9oz
- Dry Shampoo No Water Refresh 4.9oz
- Dry Shampoo Sheer Volume 4.9oz
- Never Tell Dry Shampoo 4.2oz
Old Spice:
- Fiji Dry Shampoo 4.9oz
- Pure Sport Dry Shampoo 4.9oz
Herbal Essences:
- Blue Ginger Refresh Dry Shampoo 4.9oz
- White Grapefruit & Mint Dry Shampoo 4.9oz
- White Strawberry & Sweet Mint Dry Shampoo 4.9oz
- Cucumber & Green Tea Dry Shampoo 4.9oz & 1.7oz
Waterless:
- Dry Conditioner Weightless Smooth 3.6oz & .98oz
- Dry Conditioner Instant Moisture 3.6oz & .98oz
- Dry Shampoo No Residue 3.7oz & 1oz
Aussie:
- Smooth Vibes Dry Conditioner 4.9oz
- Petal Soft Dry Conditioner 4.9oz
- Sleekend Warrior Dry Conditioner 4.9oz
- After Hours Dry Shampoo Texture Spray 4.9oz
- Tousle Hustle Dry Shampoo 4.9oz
- Bounce Back Dry Shampoo 4.9oz
- Clean Color Protect Shampoo 4.9oz
- Clean Texture Dry Shampoo 4.9oz
- Clean Volume Dry Shampoo 4.9oz
Hair Food:
- Coconut Dry Shampoo 4.9oz.
If adverse health effects are experienced due to benzene exposure from a product listed above, the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program can be used to document injuries and serious problems.
TorHoerman Law, Benzene Exposure Injury Lawyers
Attorneys at TorHoerman Law are investigating the Procter & Gamble recalls and considering legal action.
If you or a loved one have been exposed to benzene from the recalled products and have attained related injuries, you may qualify to file a lawsuit.
Contact TorHoerman Law today for a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your legal options.
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