BENZENEBy: Katia S. Taylor

What is Benzene… It is a chemical that is colorless or light

yellow liquid at room temp. It has sweet odder and is highly

flammable. It dissolves slightly in water, and will

float on top of water.

Chemical Formula… Benzenes chemical formula is C6H6

Its molecule is composed of 6 carbon, with one hydrogen . Because its molecules contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms, benzene is a hydrocarbon.

How you can get exposed… Outdoor air may contain low levels of

benzene wood smoke Tobacco smoke gasoline exhaust industrial emissions

Benzene in soft drinks…In 2006 benzene was found in soft drinks Country time lemonade Hawaiian punch- fruit juicy red Sierra mist Monster energy Sunny D smooth

Case Examples… 2005, the water supply of Harbin in

China with a population of almost nine million people, was cut off because of benzene exposer.

How it works…. benzene causes cells not work right . For example, it can cause bone marrow not to produce enough red blood cells, which can lead to anemia. Also, it can damage the immune system by changing blood levels of antibodies and causing the loss of white blood cells.

Uses…Benzene can be used to make: Plastics Nylon and synthetic fabrics Dyes Detergents Drugs pesticides

Exposure limits… A few test can determine exposure to

benzene. Benzene itself can be measured in breath, blood or urine, but such testing is usually limited to the first 24 hours post-exposure due to the relatively rapid removal of the chemicals by exhalation or biotransformation.

Biological oxidation and carcinogenic activity… One way of understanding the

carcinogenic effects of benzene is by examining the products of biological oxidation. Pure benzene, for example, oxidizes in the body to produce an epoxide, benzene oxide, which is not excreted readily and can interact with DNA to produce harmful mutations.

Inhalation… in human studies 16.4 to 41.6% of

retained benzene was eliminated through the lungs.

After exposure to 63 to 405 mg/m3 of benzene for about 5 hours, 51 to 87% was excreted in urine as phenal over 223 to 50 hours.

Quiz… Question #1

1. What is one way to get exposed to benzene?

a) The sunb) Tobacco smokec) Windd) chicken

Question #22. What is the chemical formula of benzene?a) H3O8b) AL2C6c) C6H6d) None of the above

Question #33. Benzene is used to make what?a) Drugsb) Paintsc) Dyesd) all of the above

Question #44. Benzene was found in what soft drink?a) Waterb) Country time lemonadec) Root beerd) Dr. pepper

Question #55. which disease can benzene cause?a) Asthmab) Malariac) Anemiad) Horse disease

Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqB

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Work Cited"Benzene Exposure Risks at Home &

Work." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 15 May 2015.

"Benzene." Benzene. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2015.

"Tox Town - Benzene - Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Health Risks Where You Live and Work - Text Version." Tox Town - Benzene - Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Health Risks Where You Live and Work - Text Version. N.p., 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 15 May 2015.