Environmental Issues

Section one Toxic Chemical Threat
Toxic chemicals are present all around us. The impacts that they have on humans depends upon, among other factors, the duration and dose they are administered. We cannot prevent usage of these chemicals altogether since they are vital ingredients to many of our possessions.

One such chemical which is present in small amounts in our environment is Benzene. Its threat level can be assessed from the fact that its traces have been located in at least 1,000 of the 1,684 current or former NPL (National Priorities List) sites. It is a component of gasoline and chemical formulae C6H6.

Sources of Benzene exposure
The main sources of benzene exposure are cigarette smoke, industrial emissions and exhaust from motor vehicles. If this was not enough, it is also present in house hold items such as adhesives, detergents, paints, furniture wax etc. thus we cannot avoid cannot avoid contact no matter how hard we try. It is ranked amongst top 20 most produced chemicals in United States according to volume. The worst part about being exposed to benzene is that one might not even know it, as it is colorless and has a sweet aromatic odor.

National Institutes of Health is of view that the chief source of exposure for an estimated 50 million smokers is the smoke from their cigarettes that they inhale,  50 percent of toxic Substances and Disease Registry (2007) agrees with this and elaborates that an average smoker (32 cigarettes per day) takes in about 1.8 milligrams (mg) of benzene per day.
Section two Consumer exposure and vulnerability factors

Consequences of exposure
There may be severe consequences of exposure depending upon the period of exposure as well as the dose administered. According to eco-usa Brief exposure (5-10 minutes) to very high levels of benzene in air (10,000-20,000 ppm) can result in death. Lower levels (700-3,000 ppm) can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. In most cases, people will stop feeling these effects when they are no longer exposed and begin to breathe fresh air.

Ingestion of benzene may cause vomiting, irritation of stomach, loss of appetite and tachycardia. If comes in contact with skin can cause irritation, redness and sores. Eye contact can cause irritation, blurred vision and in extreme circumstances it can damage cornea.

If exposed to low levels of benzene for longer period, can also create problems and can prove to be a chronic threat. Benzene attacks on the bone marrow and affects the tissues that form blood cells. It can result in prevention of formation of important components of blood. If shortage of red blood cells occurs, due to this, it leads to anemia. While shortage of white blood cells causes leucopenia and shortage of platelets causesthrombocytopenia. Benzene is a known carcinogen. It causes a specific type of leukemia known as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This is caused as benzene attacks bone marrow and interferes with production of normal blood cells.

Who is at threat
Virtually every one is at threat from benzene as it is present all around us not only in the form of house hold items ( the precise effect of these are unknown) we use but also as passive smokers (Active smokers, though, are at a greater risk as they consume 10 times more benzene) and exhaust from motor vehicles. However, workers working with benzene or products made from benzene are at a greater risk. As many as 238,000 people may be occupationally exposed to benzene in the United States.

Remedial actions
There is no antidote available for benzene so treatment is mainly supportive and symptomatic. Immediate removal of the patient from exposure, administration of oxygen, and monitoring and treatment of cardiopulmonary status are the first considerations. Removal of contaminated clothing is to be ascertained. In cases of ingestion, respiratory distress may indicate pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2000).In case of contact with skin, it is to be washed with soap and copious water. For eyes rinse with running water until irritation ceases time it will take for irritation to cease, again, depends upon exposure. All these steps are to taken immediately it would be preferable to carry these out in a hospital setting. If not immediately possible than contact a doctor as soon as possible. Effectiveness of remedies depends upon the condition of the patient and period for which the patient is exposed to benzene, again, as in most cases effects of benzene wear off.

Chemical Interactions
Benzene easily breaks of, consequently readily interacts with other chemicals. It readily reacts when exposed to chlorine, nitric acid, sulphuric acid etc. It is used to make other chemicals and compounds which in turns helps in manufacture of rubber, dyes and many things, as mentioned above.
Different results may be obtained when benzene interacts with other toxic chemicals. For instance when Cadmium and benzene interact mineralomimetic cadmium cyanide benzene clathrate is obtained Bis (benzene) chromium an organomettalic compound is produced when chromium (III) chloride, aluminum, and benzene react.

Section three Risk Assessment of the Threat
As discussed earlier, virtually everyone is at threat from benzene and consequences of exposure vary from mild irritation to death. For someone who is constantly exposed to benzene, for example an employee working 8 hours a day in a factory where benzene is used, it will be highly surprising if Heshe does not suffer from leukemia or anemia. Even if safety measures are followed it is more than likely that the will have symptoms of mild exposure to benzene at one time or other. Like wise heavy smokers can have leukemia due to constant exposure to benzene.

Conclusion
During 1900s when it was discovered that benzene is a toxic chemical it was replaced with substitutes and where it was difficult to do so limits were set as to the permissible quantities of benzene. Limits were also set for permissible levels of benzene in work environments. Given the increasing number cases of leukemia and anemia, exposure to benzene being their suspected cause it is high time that the standards need to be revised and  benzene levels in the atmosphere needs to be controlled.