1. BENZENE By: Katia S. Taylor

2. What is Benzene…  It is a chemical that is colorless or light yellow liquid at room temp.  It has sweet odor and is highly flammable.  It dissolves slightly in water, and will float on top of water.

3. Chemical Formula…  Benzene is an organic chemical compound with the chemical formula C6H6.  Its molecule is composed of 6 carbon atoms joined in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom. Because its molecules contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms, benzene is classed as a hydrocarbon.

4. How you can get exposed…  Outdoor air may contain low levels of benzene from automobile service stations  wood smoke  tobacco smoke  the transfer of gasoline  exhaust from motor vehicles  industrial emissions

5. Benzene in soft drinks… In 2006 benzene was found in a number of soft drinks.  Country Time Lemonade  Hawaiian Punch - Fruit Juicy Red  Sierra Mist  Monster Energy  Sunny D Smooth

6. Case Examples…  In 2005, the water supply to the city of Harbin in China with a population of almost nine million people, was cut off because of a major benzene exposure.

7. How it works…. Benzene causes cells not to function correctly. 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.

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

9. Exposure limits…  Several tests 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 chemical by exhalation or biotransformation. Most persons in developed countries have measureable baseline levels of benzene and other aromatic petroleum hydrocarbons in their blood.

10. 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.

11. Inhalation…  Inhaled benzene is primarily expelled unchanged through exhalation. In a human study 16.4 to 41.6% of retained benzene was eliminated through the lungs.  After exposure to 63 to 405 mg/m3 of benzene for 1 to 5 hours, 51 to 87% was excreted in the urine as phenol over a period of 23 to 50 hours.

12. Quiz… Question #1 1. What is one way to get exposed to benzene? a) The sun b) Tobacco smoke c) Wind d) chicken

13. Question #2 2. What is the chemical formula of benzene? a) H3O8 b) AL2C6 c) C6H6 d) None of the above

14. Question #3 3. Benzene is used to make what? a) Drugs b) Paints c) Dyes d) all of the above

15. Question #4 4. Benzene was found in what soft drink? a) Water b) Country time lemonade c) Root beer d) Dr. pepper

16. Question #5 5. which disease can benzene cause? a) Asthma b) Malaria c) Anemia d) Horse disease

17. Video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqB yUP13-Hk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqB yUP13-Hk

18. 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.