A recent study by a team of investigators from the National Cancer Institute, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, has linked very low levels of benzene exposure with a decrease in white blood cell production.

The study "Hematotoxicity in Workers Exposed to Low Levels of Benzene," compared the blood cell production of 250 benzene exposed Chinese workers, to that of 140 non-exposed workers, and found reduced white blood cell production in the exposed workers.

Alarmingly, the workers were exposed to airborne benzene levels of less than 1 part per million (ppm), which is below OSHA’s allowable long term exposure limit of 1 ppm during an 8 hour work day. OSHA allows a short term (15 minute) work place benzene exposure level of 5 ppm.

The study conducted multiple work place air samples, measuring benzene levels, over the course of one year.

It is well established that higher levels of benzene exposure causes lower blood cell counts, and leads  to blood system diseases like aplastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndromes, and leukemias such as acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).

This study enforces the idea that, when it comes to benzene, there is no safe exposure level.

This idea is not new, but has taken a long time to sink in. A National Petroleum Institute toxicological report dating back to 1948 states that there is likely no safe exposure level to benzene, and that benzene causes leukemias.

If you or a loved one have been sickened by exposure to benzene at work, you should contact a reputable benzene attorney, it costs nothing to discuss your case, and you may be able to receive compensation for your injuries.

Tags: Information-News, OSHA, video, video "aplastic anemia" "myelodysplastic syndromes" "acute myelogenous leukemia" "acute lymphocytic leukemia" benzene