Key Points/Overview
As a building block chemical, benzene is reacted with other chemicals to produce a variety of other chemistries, materials and, ultimately, consumer goods.
Benzene is used to make other chemicals including ethylbenzene, cumene and cyclohexane, which are reacted and used to manufacture plastics and other materials.
Most benzene exposure comes from the air from sources such as forest fires, auto exhaust and gasoline from fueling stations. Very low levels of benzene have been detected in fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy products, eggs and fish, but most people are exposed to only very tiny amounts of benzene from water and food.
OSHA has been monitoring benzene exposure and instituting rules to decrease exposure in industrial settings since the 1970s. To help protect workers, businesses are subject to OSHA guidelines on proper ventilation for their facilities and provide employees with safety gear.
Uses & Benefits
As a building block chemical, benzene is reacted with other chemicals to produce a variety of other chemistries, materials and, ultimately, consumer goods.
Benzene is used to make other chemicals like ethylbenzene, cumene and cyclohexane, which are then reacted and used in the manufacture of a variety of materials and plastics such as polystyrene, ABS, and nylon. There can be many steps in the process that starts with the benzene molecule and ends with a completed material or consumer product. For example, benzene is a building block used to make ethylbenzene, which is then used to make styrene, which is used to make polystyrene. The end material, polystyrene, is a completely different material chemically than benzene.
For consumer products where benzene is used as a building block or intermediate, the benzene is typically fully reacted in a closed system, with little to no benzene remaining in the finished consumer product.
Benzene also is used to make some types of lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs, explosives and pesticides.
Benzene is naturally found in crude oil. Crude oil is refined into gasoline by using heat, pressure and chemicals in the refinery to separate the spectrum of petroleum products from crude oil. The refining process yields gasoline and a number of other petroleum products, including diesel and jet fuels, solvents, lubricating oils, many of which include small amounts of benzene.
Safety Information
Most benzene exposure comes from the air from a number of sources, including forest fires, auto exhaust and gasoline from fueling stations. Benzene in cigarette smoke is a major source of exposure. Very low levels of benzene have been detected in fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy products, eggs and fish. Most people are exposed to only very tiny amounts of benzene from water and food.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) monitors and regulates benzene exposure in industrial settings. OSHA has been monitoring benzene exposure and instituting rules to decrease such exposure since the 1970s. OSHA sets strict limits on exposure in industrial settings: 1 part benzene vapor per 1 million parts air for an 8 hour day. To help protect workers, businesses follow OSHA guidelines on proper ventilation for their facilities and provide employees with safety gear.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines set limits on the amount of benzene that can be released into the environment from industrial and commercial sources, including setting limits on the amount of benzene that can be used in gasoline. Benzene is found in emissions from power plants, primarily those using coal and oil as fuels, as well as from car exhaust.
EPA has set a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for benzene of 5 parts per billion in drinking water. FDA has adopted this same level for bottled water. Cigarette smoke accounts for about half of the U.S. national exposure to benzene.
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