If you have heard the of the contaminant benzene, then you might know it can be dangerous to the body. Companies use benzene in a host of products but this chemical also occurs in the environment naturally. It is a toxic chemical and the reason why it's important to be aware of benzene toxicity symptoms and the ways benzene can get into your body. One of the primary ways is Benzene in drinking water.

Overexposure to benzene can have adverse affects on your body in the short term (acutely) or across an extended period of time (chronically). The United States Environmental Protection Agency has rated benzene a Class 'A' carcinogen, which gives insight on how dangerous this chemical really is.

Why is Benzene Toxic?

Benzene is known as a class A carcinogen (cancer-causing product), and will cause cancer in humans after significant exposure has occurred. Those who work with benzene and/or exposed on a regular basis are more likely to get cancer then those who have had limited exposure. The known cancers that are linked to benzene are acute and chronic myelogenous leukemia (AML) or (CML), acute and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) or (CLL), Hodgkin’s disease, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), hairy cell leukemia (HCL) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).

Have you been exposed to benzene in drinking water? Benzene toxicity symptoms can be serious and life threatening if not identified early enough.

Short Term Exposure

Benzene toxicity symptoms include drowsiness, dizziness, loss of consciousness and headaches and are just a few of the neurological affects of overexposure. Ingestion of larger quantities of benzene can cause convulsions, vomiting and even death. If it gets on your skin, you will see redness or even blisters that appear on the area that has been exposed. A liquid or vapor form of benzene cannot only irritate your skin but also your eyes and can cause respiratory issues.

The rate, at which exposure will affect you, depends on how much and how you get exposed to the chemical. Animal testing has been done to show the affects of ingestion and inhalation and as you might suspect, ingesting or having the liquid form on your skin causes a moderate acute toxic exposure. The affect is not as bad when inhalation of benzene vapor occurs and this causes a low acute toxic exposure.

Extended Exposure to Benzene

Benzene toxicity symptoms over the long term can cause hematological problems or blood related issues. It can adversely affect the tissues that produce blood cells or bone marrow. Long-term exposure produces symptoms like aplastic anemia, excessive bleeding and deficiencies in your immune system and can also affect your chromosomes structurally and numerically.

Affects on Women and Pregnancy

Women that have been exposed to benzene whether through a job or in the home have displayed unusual menstrual problems and may have experienced a decrease in the size of their ovaries. Studies are still being conducted to futher understand these affects and others from benzene exposure to women and their unborn children. A few of the studies indicate that fertility in women can be affected adversely. Pregnant animals that were tested did show damage to the fetus and those affected had babies that had a low birth weight, had bone formation issues, along with bone marrow issues.

How To Deal With Benzene in Your Drinking Water

If you have been exposed to Benzene you try to better understand the type of exposure you have and take precautions to protect yourself. If there is Benzene in your drinking water you will want to protect yourself by using a water filter like the Berkey. The Berkey will purify the water to remove dangerous chemicals like benzene to below detectable limits. It is not just for benzene but also for any type of dangerous or hazardous chemical that may be floating in your drinking water. Have your water tested today and see what the Black Berkey purification elements can do to save you from exposure to these chemicals and heavy metals.

Reference:

United States Environmental Protection Agency. Basic Information about Benzene in Drinking Water. Retrieved from:

https://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/benzene.cfm

Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Benzene. Retrieved from:

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/chemfs/fs/benzene.htm