Benzene Exposure Attorneys

Benzene

Benzene is a solvent commonly used throughout the chemical industry. Found in gasoline, tobacco, gasoline fumes, and vehicle emissions, benzene is carcinogenic, meaning that it can cause cancer, and is responsible for a variety of health complications, including blood disease, leukemia, and lymphoma.

Benzene is present in petroleum products. Despite safety regulations and being banned in the United States, workers who are exposed to petroleum, particularly from foreign sources, are vulnerable to the harsh effects of benzene. Benzene can be inhaled while breathing, and absorbed into the skin through touch. Those exposed to benzene greatly increase their chances of illness. In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has declared benzene exposure as little as one part per million (ppm) to be dangerous to one's health, with various other agencies allowing ppm's of less than one.

Benzene Cancer Risks

In addition to nausea, excessive fatigue and anemia, benzene exposure can lead to a variety of other ailments, including:

• Leukemia: including Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), and Hairy Cell Leukemia (HCL)…which are characterized by an increase in white blood cells which contributes to improper function of normal blood cells and/or bone marrow
• Myelodysplasia: which causes new blood cells formed to be abnormal and not function properly
• Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: which affects the lymph nodes and spleen

Studies have shown that exposure to benzene definitely increases the likelihood of developing cancer. Workers in the petroleum industry, both at refineries and distribution centers, chemical workers, and all other laborers who work with petroleum based products are at serious risk of accidental, yet unavoidable, inhalation and skin exposure to benzene that will allow the volatile solvent to seep into the skin. Regular doctor check-ups should be a staple of any employee who may be exposed to benzene.

Contact Us

If you or a loved one has been exposed to benzene, particularly because of your job, please don't hesitate to contact the workers compensation law firm of Anapol Schwartz today for a free consultation. Our Pennsylvania environmental litigation attorneys will examine every aspect of your case, and will determine who is responsible for your misfortune. We will hold liable parties accountable for their actions, and will seek monetary compensation on your behalf. Please call us today.

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