Benzene is an aromatic compound emitted by crude oil. Likewise, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets a limit of 5 ppb in bottled water. Luoping Zhang, a researcher and adjunct professor of toxicology at the University of California, Berkeley, said after reviewing some of the EPA's data that she was shocked the samples were collected outdoors in the middle of the day because benzene typically breaks down quickly in the sunlight and open air. Drug Safety and Availability, Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts, Information about Nitrosamine Impurities in Medications, Food and Drug Administration Overdose Prevention Framework, Medication Errors Related to CDER-Regulated Drug Products, Postmarket Drug Safety Information for Patients and Providers, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies | REMS, Multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis and other infections, Frequently Asked Questions on Benzene Contamination in Drugs, FDA Recalls Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts, FDA updates on hand sanitizers consumers should not use, Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun, FDA alerts drug manufacturers to the risk of benzene contamination in certain drugs. Rodney Reed, an assistant chief at Harris County Fire Marshal's Office, said that each city, as well as multiple county agencies, have the authority to issue shelter-in-place advisories. Research. Locals say they love their community - where block after block of single-family homes are surrounded by lush yards - because it's quiet, safe and has great schools. Search, Browse Law It evaporates quickly when exposed to air. Drug manufacturers should contact FDA using the information provided in FDAs alert if their testing reveals benzene in a product. Now, Contreras is alert to strange odors in the air and watches for anything unusual at the nearby chemical plants - especially smoke. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Stokes, the Deer Park city manager, declined to answer questions about the high levels of benzene recorded on March 31 by the EPA and TCEQ. Those workplace standards, he added, were a compromise between now-outdated benzene science and the economic impact on businesses. It has a sweet odor and is highly flammable. She drove herself to an emergency room, not knowing yet that her son had gone to the hospital a day earlier for the same symptoms. . Benzene has a sweet aromatic odor. The bus recorded several spikes of benzene above 1,000 parts per billion on Friday afternoon outside of the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, a popular tourist destination just down the road from ITC (it was closed to the public during the fire). 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Guevara, who has worked in industrial plants since he was a teenager, called his dad and his brother, Anthony, to warn his family of the smoke approaching their orange brick, two-story house located just four miles from ITC. Deer Park is one of a string of suburbs hugging the Houston Ship Channel, which is lined by chemical plants, refineries, smokestacks and flare towers that burn like enormous candles over a massive industrial skyline. Deer Park city officials lifted the shelter-in-place advisory at 5:30 a.m., stating no air quality readings had exceeded "action levels." The EPA warned in a press release that exposure could cause headaches and nausea, and then Harris County Public Health Executive Director Dr. Umair Shah encouraged residents to call the "Ask a Nurse" hotline if they experienced symptoms. The public was not warned the entire day. She stopped along a highway median, opened her car door and threw up. Benzene has been shown to cause chromosome changes in bone marrow cells in the lab. Some of these mono-substituted compounds (labeled in red and green), such as phenol or toluene, can be used in place of benzene for the chemical's base name. If you believe that you have been exposed to benzene beyond acceptable limits, please consider speaking with a qualified personal injury attorney to help determine the strength of your claim. Manufacturers should also be prepared to provide FDA with test results and any information available on the potential source of the benzene to assist in FDAs analysis. But Deer Park City Manager James Stokes said air monitoring readings looked "favorable" as the fire burned off the dangerous chemicals. Comparison of aneuploidies of chromosomes 21, X, and Y in the blood lymphocytes and sperm of workers exposed to benzene. County health providers screened more than 900 people and referred the worst cases to local hospitals. In Deer Park, the sirens that warn the public of industrial accidents are tested every week, and schoolchildren are drilled on how to shelter in place twice a year, with the assistance of "Wally Wise Guy," a cartoon turtle who "knows it's wise to go inside his shell" when there's danger. Among the recalled hand sanitizer brands are Art Naturals, Best Brands and Natural Wunderz. Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure of humans to benzene may cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, as well as eye, skin, and respiratory tract irritation, and, at high levels . Benzene is produced by both natural and man-made processes. Rodney Reed, an assistant chief at the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office who worked in the county's emergency operations center at the time, said when officials spotted spikes in benzene emissions, they called Unified Command, "and they'd [say] they had a break of the foam blanket.". "After the fire fight was over, that's when the benzene issues began to rear their ugly head," said Royall, the former assistant chief of Harris County Fire Marshal's Office. Such changes are commonly found in human leukemia cells. Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program. Benzene and Cancer Risk | American Cancer Society "We didn't want to alarm the public needlessly," Hemminger said. While scientists have found that years of repeated exposure to benzene causes cancer, the long-term impact of being exposed to brief but high levels of benzene is less certain. They could smell the chemicals in the air. That Monday afternoon, the same day as the press conference, the bus recorded three benzene spikes well above 1,000 parts per billion across the street from the ITC facility between 4 and 4:30 p.m. On Tuesday, EPA and TCEQ officials held another press conference and said that they had "no notifications of air monitoring results" above 1,000 parts per billion. Rapid or irregular heartbeat. Help us end cancer as we know it,for everyone. Mouton thanked first responders for their service. The Mobile Source Air Toxics (MSAT) rules reduce hazardous air pollutants, also known as air toxics, emitted by cars and trucks. A: Yes. In particular, FDA has also discussed with manufacturers the need for a special focus on ingredients that are hydrocarbons or are manufactured with benzene or other hydrocarbons. Finding benzene everywhere we look - Chemical & Engineering News After reaching a low of 498 U.S. dollars per metric ton, the global price of benzene has increased . Q: What is the risk from using drugs contaminated with benzene? Benzene - Overview | Occupational Safety and Health Administration Here you'll find in-depth information on specific cancer types including risk factors, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment options. : 71-43-2 1.2 Relevant identified uses of the substance or mixture and uses advised against Identified uses : Laboratory chemicals, Synthesis of substances 1.3 Details of the supplier of the safety data sheet Company : Sigma-Aldrich Inc. "People need to be able to make their own decisions," Hopkins said. "Or, they still don't. Harris County Pollution Control Executive Director Latrice Babin said in an interview that telling citizens to shelter in place is "a really hard call to make," noting that even when high levels of chemicals are recorded, interpreting air quality testing also depends on weather conditions and location. Among those with the highest levels were Neutrogena, CVS, Sun Bum, Raw Elements and Banana Boat. "It was a very challenging, very dangerous situation," Royall, who is now retired, recalled. Here's what you need to know about this news, including how to find out if your favorite sunscreen made the list of products containing benzene. Deer Park said in a statement later that day that the city was obtaining "normal levels" of air pollutants. "Based on our experience, the [1,000 parts per billion] action level for 1 minute for benzene across community areas was highly conservative," Sanchez-Soria said. Chemical Safety and Health - WHO Johnson & Johnson, which recalled sunscreens in July, said daily exposure to benzene in these aerosol sunscreen products at the levels detected in our testing would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences.. 2023 American Cancer Society, Inc. All rights reserved. However, when a class one solvent (such as benzene) is "unavoidable in order to produce a drug product," it should be limited to concentrations of 2 parts per million (ppm). A: Benzene is a chemical used in the production of a wide range of industrial products, including chemicals, dyes, detergents, and some plastics.Benzene is released into the . Despite the all-clear from city officials, Deer Park School District remained closed that Monday. Benzene is commonly found in air, but the levels in most places are usually very low. FDA continues to monitor the quality of drugs and, when appropriate, encourages retailers to remove products from store shelves and online marketplaces when issues arise. Schools canceled classes again, this time for one day. The Tribune's analysis shows that benzene levels continued to spike close to, but not surpassing, 1,000 parts per billion for the rest of that Sunday morning in residential areas of Deer Park. Toxic burn pits put the health of US veterans at risk. Benzene really shouldnt be there at all, he said. FDA continues to monitor the issue of benzene in drugs and is proactively working with companies, when appropriate, to recall products and encourage retailers to remove products from store shelves and online marketplaces when quality issues arise. The agency has also alerted drug manufacturers to the risk of benzene contamination in certain drugs. Ingredients that are hydrocarbons or are manufactured with benzene or other hydrocarbons may indicate a higher likelihood of benzene contamination. An official website of the United States government, : Its also important to avoid secondhand smoke. Rates ofleukemia, particularlyacute myeloid leukemia (AML), have been found to be higher in studies of workers exposed to high levels of benzene, such as those in the chemical, shoemaking, and oil refining industries. If any readings crossed that threshold, Adams said the agencies would notify local officials and the public. After two days of vomiting and "a piercing headache, behind your eyes," he said, he drove himself to a nearby hospital Tuesday morning. A: Certain hand sanitizers and aerosol (spray) drugs, including antiperspirants and sunscreens, have been recalled due to benzene contamination. Places Where Benzene May Be Found. "What we're seeing is a fundamental problem in the manufacturing of a lot of consumer products." To date, Valisure has tested 662 . The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team. Athlete . The plus and minus signs shown in the diagram do not . In Deer Park, benzene concentrations usually top out around 5 parts per billion in March, according to an analysis of TCEQ data by Ebrahim Eslami, an air quality research scientist at Houston Advanced Research Center. This can help lower your exposure to exhaust fumes, which contain benzene (as well as other potentially harmful chemicals). Other people who may be exposed to benzene at work include steel workers, printers, lab technicians, gas station employees, and firefighters. In a written statement, Pablo Sanchez-Soria, a senior toxicologist at CTEH, said that using short time frames to measure benzene levels - in this case one minute in the community - help officials "take early action" to reduce human exposure. Ten of the tanks - each big enough to hold more than 3 million gallons of chemicals - collapsed, sending chemicals gushing into the nearby ship channel and killing birds and fish.
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