According to the EPA, the average person spends 90% of their life indoors. For this reason, indoor air quality is a growing concern. Indoor air pollutants cause various health effects and can reduce workplace productivity. For those with existing health issues, this can be especially problematic. Learning about the most common indoor air pollutants, like benzene and formaldehyde, and how to reduce them, can improve indoor air quality and overall health and wellness.
What is Benzene?
Benzene is a colorless liquid that releases sweet smelling vapors. According to the University of Iowa College of Public Health, benzene is one of the twenty most highly produced chemicals in the United States. It has many uses, which include the production of other chemicals. Benzene helps to make detergents, oils, lubricants, dyes and paints, certain types of rubber, pharmaceuticals, synthetic fibers and is released from tobacco smoke. It is created in nature and is released from forest fires and volcanoes. It is also a component of fossil fuel products.
Benzene Exposure
Many people become exposed to benzene by working in places that make or use benzene. Benzene vapors are released from products like furniture polish, paints and dyes, lubricants, and adhesives. Exposure to tobacco smoke is another source of benzene exposure. Indoor air levels of benzene can be quite high, especially in sealed buildings and homes.
Outdoor levels of benzene are more dilute. Industrial emissions are the main source of benzene in the environment. Vehicle exhaust and gas stations also contribute to benzene air pollution. Hazardous waste sites can contaminate local well water.
The Benzene Cycle
Although benzene does not bioaccumulate in plants and animals, it does remain in the environment. Benzene released into the air can either bind to precipitation and enter the soil and water, or it can chemically react with other airborne chemicals and break down in a matter of days. Once benzene contacts the water and soil, it is no longer exposed to chemicals that can reduce it quickly, causing it to last longer in the environment.
Benzene Health Effects
Unfortunately, benzene exposure can lead to serious medical side effects. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), exposure to extreme levels of benzene can cause death. High levels of benzene exposure from vapors or ingestion can result in confusion, sleepiness, unconsciousness as well as increasing heart rate, tremors, headache, vomiting, stomach pain and convulsions. Benzene is a known carcinogen and long-term exposure can lead to anemia, infections and leukemia, especially acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Benzene exposure may also affect reproduction. A fetus can become exposed to benzene through the mother's blood. Animal studies indicate this could cause damage or delay development.
Benzene that enters the body is quickly broken down into metabolites. For this reason, it can be difficult to measure the severity of exposure to benzene.
Reducing Benzene Exposure
If you are frequently exposed to high levels of benzene, wear gloves and a mask to reduce exposure. Wash yourself and your clothes immediately after exposure. When possible, remove the sources of benzene from your home or workplace. Since tobacco smoke releases benzene, avoid smoking inside your home and workplace.
Some indoor air purifiers with activated carbon filters are able to reduce air benzene levels. You can also add plants to reduce indoor air levels of benzene. According to Laura Pottorf for Colorado State University's Cooperative Extension, studies conducted for NASA showed that some houseplants can remove 87% of indoor air pollutants. Plants that effectively reduce benzene from indoor air include the flowering plants gerbera daisy, chrysanthemum and peace lily, the Dracaena plants marginata, warneckei and "Janet Craig" as well as English ivy plants.
The maximum level of benzene that the Environmental Protection Agency allows in water is five parts per billion. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has limited workplace air levels of benzene at no higher than one part per million during a work week.
Jacqueline Lerche - Jacqueline has worked in the natural health field for fifteen years. She has had the opportunity to experience many alternative medicine ...
