Benzene 1

Benzene
Benzene

Identifiers

CAS number [1]

71-43-2  

PubChem [2]
241  

ChemSpider [3]
236

UNII [4]
J64922108F  

ChEBI [5]
16716

RTECS number CY1400000

SMILES

InChI

InChI key

Properties

Molecular formula CH
6 6
Molar mass 78.11 g mol−1

Appearance Colorless liquid

Density [6]
0.8765(20) g/cm3

Melting point 5.5 °C, 279 K, 42 °F

Boiling point 80.1 °C, 353 K, 176 °F

Benzene 2

Solubility in water [7] [8] [9]

1.8 g/L (15 °C)

Viscosity 0.652 cP at 20 °C

Dipole moment 0D

Hazards

EU classification Flammable (F)

Carc. Cat. 1
Muta. Cat. 2
Toxic (T)

R-phrases R45, R46, R11, R36/38,R48/23/24/25, R65

S-phrases S53, S45

NFPA 704

Flash point −11 °C

Related compounds

Related compounds toluene

borazine
[10]
 (what is this?)   (verify)
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)

Infobox references

Benzene is an organic chemical compound with the molecular formula C6H6. It is sometimes abbreviated Ph–H.
Benzene is a colorless and highly flammable liquid with a sweet smell. Because it is a known carcinogen, its use as
an additive in gasoline is now limited, but it is an important industrial solvent and precursor in the production of
drugs, plastics, synthetic rubber, and dyes. Benzene is a natural constituent of crude oil, and may be synthesized
from other compounds present in petroleum. Benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon and the second [n]-annulene
([6]-annulene), a cyclic hydrocarbon with a continuous pi bond. It is also related to the functional group arene which
is a generalized structure of benzene.

History

Discovery
The word "benzene" derives historically from "gum benzoin", sometimes called "benjamin" (i.e., benzoin resin), an
aromatic resin known to European pharmacists and perfumers since the 15th century as a product of southeast Asia.
"Benzoin" is itself a corruption of the Arabic expression "luban jawi," or "frankincense of Java." An acidic material
was derived from benzoin by sublimation, and named "flowers of benzoin," or benzoic acid. The hydrocarbon
derived from benzoic acid thus acquired the name benzin, benzol, or benzene.[11]
Michael Faraday first isolated and identified benzene in 1825 from the oily residue derived from the production of
illuminating gas, giving it the name bicarburet of hydrogen.[12] [13] In 1833, Eilhard Mitscherlich produced it via the
distillation of benzoic acid (from gum benzoin) and lime. Mitscherlich gave the compound the name benzin.[14] In
1836, the French chemist Auguste Laurent named the substance "phène"; this is the root of the word phenol, which is
hydroxylated benzene, and phenyl, which is the radical formed by abstraction of a hydrogen atom (free radical H*)
from benzene.
Benzene 3

In 1845, Charles Mansfield, working under

August Wilhelm von Hofmann, isolated
benzene from coal tar. Four years later,
Mansfield began the first industrial-scale
production of benzene, based on the coal-tar
method.

Gradually the sense developed among

[15]
Historic benzene formulae as proposed by Kekulé.
chemists that substances related to benzene
formed a natural chemical family. In 1855
August Wilhelm Hofmann used the word "aromatic" to designate this family relationship, after a characteristic
property of many of its members.

Ring formula
The empirical formula for benzene was long known, but its highly polyunsaturated structure, with just one hydrogen
atom for each carbon atom, was challenging to determine. Archibald Scott Couper in 1858 and Joseph Loschmidt in
1861 suggested possible structures that contained multiple double bonds or multiple rings, but the study of aromatic
compounds was in its very early years, and too little evidence was then available to help chemists decide on any
particular structure.
In 1865, the German chemist Friedrich August Kekulé published a paper in French (for he was then teaching in
Francophone Belgium) suggesting that the structure contained a six-membered ring of carbon atoms with alternating
single and double bonds. The next year he published a much longer paper in German on the same subject.[16] [17]
Kekulé used evidence that had accumulated in the intervening years—namely, that there always appeared to be only
one isomer of any monoderivative of benzene, and that there always appeared to be exactly three isomers of every
diderivative—now understood to correspond to the ortho, meta, and para patterns of arene substitution—to argue in
support of his proposed structure. Kekulé's symmetrical ring could explain these curious facts, as well as benzene's
1:1 carbon-hydrogen ratio.
The new understanding of benzene,
and hence of all aromatic compounds,
proved to be so important for both pure
Historic benzene formulae (from left to right) by Claus (1867), Dewar (1867), Ladenburg and applied chemistry that in 1890 the
(1869), Armstrong (1887), Thiele (1899) and Kekulé (1865). German Chemical Society organized
an elaborate appreciation in Kekulé's
honor, celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of his first benzene paper. Here Kekulé spoke of the creation of the
theory. He said that he had discovered the ring shape of the benzene molecule after having a reverie or day-dream of
a snake seizing its own tail (this is a common symbol in many ancient cultures known as the Ouroboros or Endless
knot). This vision, he said, came to him after years of studying the nature of carbon-carbon bonds. This was 7 years
after he had solved the problem of how carbon atoms could bond to up to four other atoms at the same time. It is
curious that a similar, humorous depiction of benzene had appeared in 1886 in the Berichte der Durstigen
Chemischen Gesellschaft (Journal of the Thirsty Chemical Society), a parody of the Berichte der Deutschen
Chemischen Gesellschaft, only the parody had monkeys seizing each other in a circle, rather than snakes as in
Kekulé's anecdote.[18] Some historians have suggested that the parody was a lampoon of the snake anecdote,
possibly already well-known through oral transmission even if it had not yet appeared in print.[11] Others have
speculated that Kekulé's story in 1890 was a re-parody of the monkey spoof, and was a mere invention rather than a
recollection of an event in his life. Kekulé's 1890 speech[19] in which these anecdotes appeared has been translated
Benzene 4

into English.[20] If one takes the anecdote as the memory of a real event, circumstances mentioned in the story
suggest that it must have happened early in 1862.[21]
The cyclic nature of benzene was finally confirmed by the crystallographer Kathleen Lonsdale in 1929.[22] [23]

Structure
Benzene represents a special problem in that, to account for all the bonds, there must be alternating double carbon
bonds:[24]

The various representations of benzene

Using X-ray diffraction, researchers discovered that all of the carbon-carbon bonds in benzene are of the same length
of 140 picometres (pm). The C–C bond lengths are greater than a double bond (135pm) but shorter than a single
bond (147pm). This intermediate distance is explained by electron delocalization: the electrons for C–C bonding are
distributed equally between each of the six carbon atoms. The molecule is planar (ignoring quantum/thermal
vibrations), although many calculations predict otherwise.[25] One representation is that the structure exists as a
superposition of so-called resonance structures, rather than either form individually. The delocalization of electrons
is one explanation for the thermodynamic stability of benzene and related ringed molecules. It is likely that it is this
stability that contributes to the peculiar molecular and chemical properties known as aromaticity. To reflect the
delocalized nature of the bonding, benzene is often depicted with a circle inside a hexagonal arrangement of carbon
atoms:
The delocalized picture of benzene has been contested by Cooper, Gerratt and Raimondi in their article published in
1986 in the journal Nature. They showed that the electrons in benzene are almost certainly localized, and the
aromatic properties of benzene originate from spin coupling rather than electron delocalization.[26] This view has
been supported in the next-year Nature issue,[27] [28] [29] but it has been slow to permeate the general chemistry
community.
As is common in organic chemistry, the carbon atoms in the diagram above have been left unlabeled. Realizing each
carbon has 2p electrons, each carbon donates an electron into the delocalized ring above and below the benzene ring.
It is the side-on overlap of p-orbitals that produces the pi clouds.
Benzene 5

Benzene occurs sufficiently often as a component of organic molecules that there is a Unicode symbol in the
Miscellaneous Technical block with the code U+232C (⌬) to represent it with three double bonds,[30] and U+23E3
(⏣) for a delocalized version.[31]

Substituted benzene derivatives

Many important chemicals are derived from benzene by replacing one or more of its hydrogen atoms with another
functional group. Examples of simple benzene derivatives are phenol, toluene, and aniline, abbreviated PhOH,
PhMe, and PhNH2, respectively. Linking benzene rings gives biphenyl, C6H5–C6H5. Further loss of hydrogen gives
"fused" aromatic hydrocarbons, such as naphthalene and anthracene. The limit of the fusion process is the
hydrogen-free material graphite.
In heterocycles, carbon atoms in the benzene ring are replaced with other elements. The most important derivatives
are the rings containing nitrogen. Replacing one CH with N gives the compound pyridine, C5H5N. Although
benzene and pyridine are structurally related, benzene cannot be converted into pyridine. Replacement of a second
CH bond with N gives, depending on the location of the second N, pyridazine, pyrimidine, and pyrazine.

Production
Trace amounts of benzene may result whenever carbon-rich materials undergo incomplete combustion. It is
produced in volcanoes and forest fires, and is also a component of cigarette smoke. Benzene is a principal
component of combustion products produced by the burning of PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
Until World War II, most benzene was produced as a by-product of coke production (or "coke-oven light oil") in the
steel industry. However, in the 1950s, increased demand for benzene, especially from the growing plastics industry,
necessitated the production of benzene from petroleum. Today, most benzene comes from the petrochemical
industry, with only a small fraction being produced from coal.
Four chemical processes contribute to industrial benzene production: catalytic reforming, toluene hydrodealkylation,
toluene disproportionation, and steam cracking. In the US, 50% of benzene comes from catalytic reforming and 25%
from steam cracking. In Western Europe, 50% of benzene comes from steam cracking and 25% from catalytic
reforming.

Catalytic reforming
In catalytic reforming, a mixture of hydrocarbons with boiling points between 60–200 °C is blended with hydrogen
gas and then exposed to a bifunctional platinum chloride or rhenium chloride catalyst at 500–525 °C and pressures
ranging from 8–50 atm. Under these conditions, aliphatic hydrocarbons form rings and lose hydrogen to become
aromatic hydrocarbons. The aromatic products of the reaction are then separated from the reaction mixture (or
reformate) by extraction with any one of a number of solvents, including diethylene glycol or sulfolane, and benzene
is then separated from the other aromatics by distillation. The extraction step of aromatics from the reformate is
designed to produce aromatics with lowest non-aromatic components. So-called BTX (benzene-toluene-xylene)
process consists of such extraction and distillation steps. One such widely used process from UOP was licensed to
producers and called the Udex process.
Similarly to this catalytic reforming, UOP and BP commercialized a method from LPG (mainly propane and butane)
to aromatics.
Benzene 6

Toluene hydrodealkylation
Toluene hydrodealkylation converts toluene to benzene. In this hydrogen-intensive process, toluene is mixed with
hydrogen, then passed over a chromium, molybdenum, or platinum oxide catalyst at 500–600 °C and 40–60 atm
pressure. Sometimes, higher temperatures are used instead of a catalyst (at the similar reaction condition). Under
these conditions, toluene undergoes dealkylation to benzene and methane:
C6H5CH3 + H2 → C6H6 + CH4
This irreversible reaction is accompanied by an equilibrium side reaction that produces biphenyl (aka diphenyl) at
higher temperature:
2 C6H6 H2 + C6H5–C6H5
If the raw material stream contains much non-aromatic components (paraffins or naphthenes), those are likely
decomposed to lower hydrocarbons such as methane, which increases the consumption of hydrogen.
A typical reaction yield exceeds 95%. Sometimes, xylenes and heavier aromatics are used in place of toluene, with
similar efficiency.
This is often called "on-purpose" methodology to produce benzene, compared to conventional BTX
(benzene-toluene-xylene) processes.

Toluene disproportionation
Where a chemical complex has similar demands for both benzene and xylene, then toluene disproportionation (TDP)
may be an attractive alternative to the toluene hydrodealkylation. Broadly speaking 2 toluene molecules are reacted
and the methyl groups rearranged from one toluene molecule to the other, yielding one benzene molecule and one
xylene molecule.
Given that demand for para-xylene (p-xylene) substantially exceeds demand for other xylene isomers, a refinement
of the TDP process called Selective TDP (STDP) may be used. In this process, the xylene stream exiting the TDP
unit is approximately 90% paraxylene. In some current catalytic systems, even the benzene-to-xylenes ratio is
decreased (more xylenes) when the demand of xylenes is higher.

Steam cracking
Steam cracking is the process for producing ethylene and other alkenes from aliphatic hydrocarbons. Depending on
the feedstock used to produce the olefins, steam cracking can produce a benzene-rich liquid by-product called
pyrolysis gasoline. Pyrolysis gasoline can be blended with other hydrocarbons as a gasoline additive, or distilled (in
BTX process) to separate it into its components, including benzene.

Uses

Early uses
In the 19th and early-20th centuries, benzene was used as an after-shave lotion because of its pleasant smell. Prior to
the 1920s, benzene was frequently used as an industrial solvent, especially for degreasing metal. As its toxicity
became obvious, benzene was supplanted by other solvents, especially toluene (methyl benzene), which has similar
physical properties but is not as carcinogenic.
In 1903, Ludwig Roselius popularized the use of benzene to decaffeinate coffee. This discovery led to the production
of Sanka (the letters "ka" in the brand name stand for kaffein). This process was later discontinued. Benzene was
historically found as a significant component in many consumer products such as Liquid Wrench, several paint
strippers, rubber cements, spot removers and other hydrocarbon-containing products. Some ceased manufacture of
their benzene-containing formulations in about 1950, while others continued to use benzene as a component or
Benzene 7

significant contaminant until the late 1970s when leukemia deaths were found associated with Goodyear's Pliofilm
production operations in Ohio. Until the late 1970s, many hardware stores, paint stores, and other retail outlets sold
benzene in small cans, such as quart size, for general-purpose use. Many students were exposed to benzene in school
and university courses while performing laboratory experiments with little or no ventilation in many cases. This very
dangerous practice has been almost totally eliminated.
As a gasoline (petrol) additive, benzene increases the octane rating and reduces knocking. Consequently, gasoline
often contained several percent benzene before the 1950s, when tetraethyl lead replaced it as the most widely-used
antiknock additive. With the global phaseout of leaded gasoline, benzene has made a comeback as a gasoline
additive in some nations. In the United States, concern over its negative health effects and the possibility of benzene
entering the groundwater have led to stringent regulation of gasoline's benzene content, with limits typically around
1%.[32] European petrol specifications now contain the same 1% limit on benzene content. The United States
Environmental Protection Agency has new regulations that will lower the benzene content in gasoline to 0.62% in
2011.[33]

Current uses
Today benzene is mainly used as an intermediate to make other chemicals. Its most widely-produced derivatives
include styrene, which is used to make polymers and plastics, phenol for resins and adhesives (via cumene), and
cyclohexane, which is used in the manufacture of Nylon. Smaller amounts of benzene are used to make some types
of rubbers, lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs, explosives, napalm and pesticides.
In both the US and Europe, 50% of benzene is used in the production of ethylbenzene / styrene, 20% is used in the
production of cumene, and about 15% of benzene is used in the production of cyclohexane (eventually to nylon).
In laboratory research, toluene is now often used as a substitute for benzene. The solvent-properties of the two are
similar but toluene is less toxic and has a wider liquid range.
Benzene has been used as a basic research tool in a variety of experiments including analysis of a two-dimensional
gas.
Benzene 8

Major commodity chemicals and polymers derived from benzene. Clicking on the image loads the appropriate article

Reactions
• Electrophilic aromatic substitution is a general method of derivatizing benzene. Benzene is sufficiently
nucleophilic that it undergoes substitution by acylium ions or alkyl carbocations to give substituted derivatives.

Electrophilic aromatic substitution of benzene

• The Friedel-Crafts acylation is a specific example of electrophilic aromatic substitution. The reaction involves
the acylation of benzene (or many other aromatic rings) with an acyl chloride using a strong Lewis acid
catalyst such as aluminium chloride or iron chloride which act as a halogen carrier.

Friedel-Crafts acylation of benzene by acetyl chloride

• Like the Friedel-Crafts acylation, the Friedel-Crafts alkylation involves the alkylation of benzene (and many
other aromatic rings) using an alkyl halide in the presence of a strong Lewis acid catalyst.
Benzene 9

Friedel-Crafts alkylation of benzene with methyl chloride

• Sulfonation. The most common method involves mixing sulfuric acid with sulfate, a mixture called fuming
sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid protonates the sulfate, giving the sulfur atom a permanent, rather than
resonance stabilized positive formal charge. This molecule is very electrophillic and Electrophillic Aromatic
Substitution then occurs.
• Nitration: Benzene undergoes nitration with nitronium ions (NO2+) as the electrophile. Thus, warming benzene
at 50–55 °C, with a combination of concentrated sulfuric and nitric acid to produce the electrophile, gives
nitrobenzene.
• Hydrogenation (reduction): Benzene and derivatives convert to cyclohexane and derivatives when treated with
hydrogen at 450 K and 10 atm of pressure with a finely divided nickel catalyst.
• Benzene is an excellent ligand in the organometallic chemistry of low-valent metals. Important examples include
the sandwich and half-sandwich complexes respectively Cr(C6H6)2 and [RuCl2(C6H6)]2.

Environmental transformation
Even if it is not a common substrate for the metabolism of organisms, benzene could be oxidized by both bacteria
and eukaryotes.
In bacteria, dioxygenase enzyme can add an oxygen molecule to the ring, and the unstable product is immediately
reduced (by NADH) to a cyclic diol with two double bonds, breaking the aromaticity. Next, the diol is newly
reduced by NADH to catechol.
The catechol is then metabolized to acetyl CoA and succinyl CoA, used by organisms mainly in the Krebs Cycle for
energy production.
Benzene 10

Health effects
Benzene exposure has serious health effects. The American Petroleum
Institute (API) stated in 1948 that "it is generally considered that the
only absolutely safe concentration for benzene is zero."[34] The US
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) classifies benzene
as a human carcinogen. Long-term exposure to excessive levels of
benzene in the air causes leukemia, a potentially fatal cancer of the
blood-forming organs, in susceptible individuals. In particular, Acute
myeloid leukemia or acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia (AML &
ANLL) is not disputed to be caused by benzene.[35] IARC rated
benzene as "known to be carcinogenic to humans" (Group 1).

Outdoor air may contain low levels of benzene from tobacco smoke,
wood smoke, automobile service stations, the transfer of gasoline,
exhaust from motor vehicles, and industrial emissions.[36] About 50%
of the entire nationwide (United States) exposure to benzene results
from smoking tobacco or from exposure to tobacco smoke.[37]
A bottle of benzene. The warnings show benzene
Vapors from products that contain benzene, such as glues, paints, is a toxic and flammable liquid.

furniture wax, and detergents, can also be a source of exposure,

although many of these have been modified or reformulated since the late 1970s to eliminate or reduce the benzene
content. Air around hazardous waste sites or gas stations may contain higher levels of benzene. Because petroleum
hydrocarbon products are complex mixtures of chemicals, risk assessments for these products generally focus on
specific toxic constituents. The petroleum constituents of primary interest to human health have been the aromatic
hydrocarbons (i.e., benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylenes). OSHA requires that a mixture "shall be assumed to
present a carcinogenic hazard if it contains a component in concentrations of 0.1% or greater, which is considered to
be a carcinogen.[38] [39]

The short term breathing of high levels of benzene can result in death, while low levels can cause drowsiness,
dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. Eating or drinking foods containing
high levels of benzene can cause vomiting, irritation of the stomach, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions, and death.
The major effects of benzene are manifested via chronic (long-term) exposure through the blood. Benzene damages
the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding
and depress the immune system, increasing the chance of infection. Benzene causes leukemia and is associated with
other blood cancers and pre-cancers of the blood.
Human exposure to benzene is a global health problem. Benzene targets liver, kidney, lung, heart and the brain and
can cause DNA strand breaks, chromosomal damage etc. Benzene causes cancer in both animals and humans.
Benzene was first reported to induce cancer in humans in the 1920s. The chemical industry claims it wasn't until
1979 that the cancer-inducing properties were determined "conclusively" in humans, despite many references to this
fact in the medical literature. Industry exploited this "discrepancy" and tried to discredit animal studies which
showed benzene caused cancer, saying that they weren't relevant to humans. Benzene has been shown to cause
cancer in both sexes of multiple species of laboratory animals exposed via various routes.[40] [41]
Some women who breathed high levels of benzene for many months had irregular menstrual periods and a decrease
in the size of their ovaries. It is not known whether benzene exposure affects the developing fetus in pregnant
women or fertility in men.
Animal studies have shown low birth weights, delayed bone formation, and bone marrow damage when pregnant
animals breathed benzene.
Benzene 11

Benzene has been connected to a rare form of kidney cancer in two separate studies, one involving tank truck
drivers, and the other involving seamen on tanker vessels, both carrying benzene-laden chemicals.

Exposure to benzene
Workers in various industries that make or use benzene may be at risk for being exposed to high levels of this
carcinogenic chemical. Industries that involve the use of benzene include the rubber industry, oil refineries, coke and
chemical plants, shoe manufacturers, and gasoline-related industries. Downstream petroleum industry operations
include the following categories: refinery, pipeline, marine, rail, bulk terminals and trucks, service stations,
underground storage tanks, tank cleaning, and site characterization and remediation.
In 1987, OSHA estimated that about 237,000 workers in the United States were potentially exposed to benzene, but
it is not known if this number has substantially changed since then.
Water and soil contamination are important pathways of concern for transmission of benzene contact. In the US
alone there are approximately 100,000 different sites which have benzene soil or groundwater contamination. 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. Benzene leaked into the Songhua River, which supplies drinking water to the
city, after an explosion at a China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) factory in the city of Jilin on 13
November.
In March 2006, the official Food Standards Agency in Britain conducted a survey of 150 brands of soft drinks. It
found that four contained benzene levels above World Health Organization limits. The affected batches were
removed from sale.[42] (See also benzene in soft drinks).

Benzene exposure limits

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has set a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for benzene in
drinking water at 0.005 mg/L (5 ppb), as promulgated via the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations.[43] This
regulation is based on preventing benzene leukemogenesis. The maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG), a
nonenforceable health goal that would allow an adequate margin of safety for the prevention of adverse effects, is
zero benzene concentration in drinking water. The EPA requires that spills or accidental releases into the
environment of 10 pounds (4.5 kg) or more of benzene be reported to the EPA.
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set a permissible exposure limit of 1 part of
benzene per million parts of air (1 ppm) in the workplace during an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek. The short
term exposure limit for airborne benzene is 5 ppm for 15 minutes.[44] These legal limits were based on studies
demonstrating compelling evidence of health risk to workers exposed to benzene. The risk from exposure to 1 ppm
for a working lifetime has been estimated as 5 excess leukemia deaths per 1,000 employees exposed. (This estimate
assumes no threshold for benzene's carcinogenic effects.) OSHA has also established an action level of 0.5 ppm to
encourage even lower exposures in the workplace.[45]
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) revised the Immediately Dangerous to Life or
Health (IDLH) concentration for benzene to 500 ppm. The current NIOSH definition for an IDLH condition, as
given in the NIOSH Respirator Selection Logic, is one that poses a threat of exposure to airborne contaminants when
that exposure is likely to cause death or immediate or delayed permanent adverse health effects or prevent escape
from such an environment [NIOSH 2004]. The purpose of establishing an IDLH value is (1) to ensure that the
worker can escape from a given contaminated environment in the event of failure of the respiratory protection
equipment and (2) is considered a maximum level above which only a highly reliable breathing apparatus providing
maximum worker protection is permitted [NIOSH 2004[46] ].[47] In September 1995, NIOSH issued a new policy for
developing recommended exposure limits (RELs) for substances, including carcinogens. Because benzene can cause
cancer, NIOSH recommends that all workers wear special breathing equipment when they are likely to be exposed to
Benzene 12

benzene at levels exceeding the REL (10-hour) of 0.1 ppm.[48] The NIOSH STEL (95 min) is 1 ppm.
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) adopted Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) for
benzene at 0.5 ppm TWA and 2.5 ppm STEL.
Under New Jersey's Right-to-Know law, respiratory protection for benzene is discussed.[49] As stated, improper use
of respirators is dangerous. Respirators should only be used when there is a written respiratory program in place as
described in the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134).[50] The employer is to develop and
implement a written respiratory protection program with required worksite-specific procedures and elements for
required respirator use. This program must be administered by a suitably trained program administrator. Employers
must use the assigned protection factors (APF) listed in Table 1 of 29 CFR 1910.134 to select a respirator that meets
or exceeds the required level of employee protection. Applicable to benzene:
• If there is a potential for exposure to 0.1 ppm, a NIOSH-approved half face respirator must be worn with an
organic vapor cartridge (APF 10).
• If there is a potential for exposure to 0.5 ppm, a NIOSH-approved full face respirator must be worn with an
organic vapor cartridge (APF 50).
• Where the potential exists for exposure to over 5 ppm, a NIOSH-approved air-supplied respirator with a full
facepiece operated under pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode must be used (APF 1,000).

Exposure monitoring
Airborne exposure monitoring for benzene must be conducted in order to properly assess personal exposures and
effectiveness of engineering controls. Initial exposure monitoring should be conducted by an industrial hygienist or
person specifically trained and experienced in sampling techniques. Contact an AIHA Accredited Laboratory for
advice on sampling methods.[51]
Each employer who has a place of employment where occupational exposures to benzene occur shall monitor each
of these workplaces and work operations to determine accurately the airborne concentrations of benzene to which
employees may be exposed.[52] Representative 8-hour TWA employee exposures need to be determined on the basis
of one sample or samples representing the full shift exposure for each job classification in each work area. Unless air
samples are taken frequently, the employer does not know the concentration and would not know how much of a
protection factor is needed.[53]
In providing consultation on work safety during oil clean-up operations following the Deepwater Horizon accident,
OSHA has worked with an number of other government agencies to protect Gulf cleanup workers. OSHA partnered
with the NIOSH to issue "Interim Guidance for Protecting Deepwater Horizon Response Workers and Volunteers"
and recommend measures that should be taken to protect workers from a variety of different health hazards that these
workers face.[54] OSHA conceded that it recognizes that most of its PELs are outdated and inadequate measures of
worker safety. In characterizing worker exposure OSHA instead relies on more up-to-date recommended protective
limits set by organizations such as NIOSH, the ACGIH, and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA),
and not on the older, less protective PELS. Results of air monitoring are compared to the lowest known Occupational
Exposure Limit for the listed contaminant for purposes of risk assessment and protective equipment
recommendations. [55]

Biomarkers of exposure
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. In the body, benzene is enzymatically converted to a
series of oxidation products including muconic acid, phenylmercapturic acid, phenol, catechol, hydroquinone and
1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene. Most of these metabolites have some value as biomarkers of human exposure, since they
Benzene 13

accumulate in the urine in proportion to the extent and duration of exposure, and they may still be present for some
days after exposure has ceased. The current ACGIH biological exposure limits for occupational exposure are 500
μg/g creatinine for muconic acid and 25 μg/g creatinine for phenylmercapturic acid in an end-of-shift urine
specimen.[56] [57] [58] [59]

Molecular toxicology
The paradigm of toxicological assessment of benzene is slowly shifting towards the domain of molecular toxicology
as it allows understanding of fundamental biological mechanisms in a better way. Glutathione seems to play an
important role by protecting against benzene induced DNA breaks and it is being identified as a new biomarker for
exposure and effect.[60] Benzene causes chromosomal aberrations in the peripheral blood leukocytes and bone
marrow explaining the higher incidence of leukemia and multiple myeloma caused by chronic exposure. These
aberrations can be monitored using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with DNA probes to assess the effects of
benzene along with the hematological tests as markers of hematotoxicity.[61] Benzene metabolism involves enzymes
coded for by polymorphic genes. Studies have shown that genotype at these loci may influence susceptibility to the
toxic effects of benzene exposure. Individuals carrying variant of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1),
microsomal epoxide hydrolase (EPHX) and deletion of the glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1) showed a greater
frequency of DNA single-stranded breaks.[62]

Summary
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) (2007), benzene is both an
anthropogenically produced and naturally occurring chemical from processes that include: volcanic eruptions, wild
fires, synthesis of chemicals such as phenol, production of synthetic fibers and fabrication of rubbers, lubricants,
pesticides, medications, and dyes. The major sources of benzene exposure are tobacco smoke, automobile service
stations, exhaust from motor vehicles, and industrial emissions; however, ingestion and dermal absorption of
benzene can also occur through contact with contaminated water. Benzene is hepatically metabolized and excreted in
the urine. Measurement of air and water levels of benzene is accomplished through collection via activated charcoal
tubes, which are then analyzed with a gas chromatograph. The measurement of benzene in humans can be
accomplished via urine, blood, and breath tests; however, all of these have their limitations because benzene is
rapidly metabolized in the human body into by-products called metabolites.[63]
OSHA regulates levels of benzene in the workplace.[64] The maximum allowable amount of benzene in workroom
air during an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek is 1 ppm. Because benzene can cause cancer, NIOSH recommends
that all workers wear special breathing equipment when they are likely to be exposed to benzene at levels exceeding
the recommended (8-hour) exposure limit of 0.1 ppm.[65]

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.

See also
• Industrial Union Department v. American Petroleum Institute
• Benzene in soft drinks
Benzene 14

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Benzene 16

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External links
• Benzene (www.eco-usa.net) (http://www.eco-usa.net/toxics/chemicals/benzene.shtml)
• International Chemical Safety Card 0015 (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/
products/icsc/dtasht/_icsc00/icsc0015.htm)
• USEPA Summary of Benzene Toxicity (http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0276.htm)
• NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0049.html)
• CID 241 (http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=241) from PubChem
• Dept. of Health and Human Services: TR-289: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Benzene (http://ntp.
niehs.nih.gov/index.cfm?objectid=0707525C-0F07-05BF-A16CAC7B0ECC97B5)
• Video Podcast (http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/video/faraday_l.m4v) of Sir John Cadogan giving a lecture on
Benzene since Faraday, in 1991
• Substance profile (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/eleventh/profiles/s019benz.pdf)
• U.S. National Library of Medicine: ChemIDplus - Benzene (http://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/direct.
jsp?name=Benzene&result=advanced)
• NLM Hazardous Substances Databank – Benzene (http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/a?dbs+
hsdb:@term+@DOCNO+35)
Article Sources and Contributors 17

Article Sources and Contributors

Benzene  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=395938069  Contributors: 08prl, 16@r, 7&6=thirteen, ABCD, AManWithNoPlan, Acdx, Acewolf359, Aechman, Ajrocke, Al.Glitch,
AlB1337, Alex723723, Alfio, American Eagle, Amyvel315, AndrewRA, Andux, Anlace, Annwhent2, Antandrus, Antije, ArnoGourdol, Artichoker, Arvindn, Atemperman, Aushulz, Aussie
Alchemist, Ayeroxor, Aznlilbadboy, Bakilas, BalazsH, Banus, Barticus88, Baseball 292992, Bazzargh, Beamertate, Beetstra, Benjah-bmm27, Bensaccount, Bichologo, Bkell, Blahaccountblah,
Bobblewik, Boing! said Zebedee, Bomac, Borb, BorzouBarzegar, Bowenpan, Brane.Blokar, Brighterorange, Bryan Derksen, C6541, Cacycle, Camp3rstrik3r, CanadianLinuxUser, Canderson7,
Cargoking, Casforty, Cassan, Charlesdrakew, Chase me ladies, I'm the Cavalry, Chem-awb, ChemNerd, Chempedia, Chimpman, Chiu frederick, Chris Capoccia, ChrisTek, Chriswiki, Chuunen
Baka, Ciaccona, Col tom, Common Man, Contango, Conversion script, Courcelles, Craigy144, Cyberevil, Cyde, Cygfrydd Llewellyn, DD 8630, DFS454, DMacks, DO11.10, DVD R W, Daniel
Case, Davidruben, Dbiel, DeadEyeArrow, Dekergnp, Deli nk, Deviator13, DocWatson42, DocteurCosmos, DragonflySixtyseven, Dratman, Dravick, Dtsang, Dysprosia, Dzordzm, ESkog,
Ebaksa, EconoPhysicist, Ed Poor, EdH, Edgar181, Edivorce, Edsanville, Eeekster, Eequor, Egonw, Either way, ElBenevolente, Element16, ElliottEnterprise, Emijrp, Eoscariii, Epbr123,
Ephemeronium, Epop fr, Ergzay, Esurnir, Euryalus, EvaK, Ewen, Exabyte, FTGHSmith, Fcueto, FelixP, Fornaeffe, Fred Bauder, Fttguitarist, Gaius Cornelius, Gavin sidhu, Gazjo, Gentgeen,
Giftlite, Gilliam, Gmaxwell, GraemeL, GregorB, Ground Zero, GroupWizard, Grunt, Gruzd, Gundwane, H Padleckas, Hadal, Halmstad, Hayabusa future, HazyM, Hellbus, Heron, Heteren,
Hobartimus, Ian01, Ilesn, Imasleepviking, InfoCan, Iridium77, IslandHopper973, Isopropyl, Itub, Ivarmcdonald, J.Steinbock, JForget, JLaTondre, JSpung, Jachin, Jack B108, JamesChemFindIt,
Jameswilson, Jamieicis, Jauerback, Jbworks0917, Jeeves, Jeffq, JeramieHicks, Jessicap123, Joanjoc, Jon Harald Søby, Jons63, Jrtayloriv, Jü, Kandar, Karlhahn, Kattlguard, KenFehling, Kenyon,
Kjkolb, Kkolmetz, Kku, Klawehtgod, Kozuch, Kpengboy, Ktsquare, Kupos, Kymacpherson, La goutte de pluie, LarryMorseDCOhio, Lchiarav, Ling.Nut, Literaturegeek, Littlealien182,
LizardWizard, Llort, Logical2u, Logophile, Luna Santin, M.mural.lee, MarcK, Marek69, Martinman11, MastCell, Materialscientist, Mav, Mdhowe, Mervyn, Metalloid, Metamagician3000,
MichaK, Michael Frind, Michall, Mikespedia, Mjmcb1, Montrealais, Moreau1, Mph2010, Mr3641, Muchie11791, NCFCQ, Nagy, NawlinWiki, Nenad Seguljev, Neparis, Nerguy, Nick,
Nickeudaly, Nickptar, Nonagonal Spider, Northgrove, Nuberger13, Nufy8, Nuggetboy, Nunquam Dormio, Onco p53, Opelio, Ortonmc, Paaerduag, Parable1991, Paul Drye, Paul-L, Pcbene, Peak,
Pelirojopajaro, Persian Poet Gal, PeterSymonds, Phasechange, Phgao, Physchim62, Pisanidavid, Pit, Polonium, Prari, Prmacn, Pádraic MacUidhir, Quidam65, Qxz, R9tgokunks, RK, RMFan1,
Rabid Lemur, RaseaC, Rbaselt, Renamed vandal 86, Retired username, Rice.brendan, Rich Farmbrough, Rifleman 82, Rje, Rjwilmsi, Rocastelo, Root4(one), Rossheth, RuudVisser, Ryulong,
Rzepa, Sabbut, Sandshinobi23, Sciencen3rd, Sciurinæ, SemperBlotto, Semperf, Seraphimblade, Shaddack, Shefgodeep, Shellreef, Shimmin, Shinjiman, Shyamal, Silverbutterflies, Simoes,
SimonP, Sitek, Sleeping123, Smk99, Smokefoot, Snezzy, Snowolf, Solipsist, Spiffy sperry, SpikeTorontoRCP, Srnec, SteinAlive, Stemonitis, Stephenb, Steveholland87, Steviedpeele, Stone,
Subsolar, Superfly2005, Sverdrup, Synergy, TSLIII, Tarquin, Taweetham, Taxman, Tetracube, The Thing That Should Not Be, Thekrazykool809, Thisisshorty, Timwi, Tisdalepardi, Tom-,
Townview science, Tpk5010, Traceymarr, TreyHarris, Unconcerned, Unitknow, Unyoyega, User A1, V8rik, Vladsinger, Vonfraginoff, Vuo, W2raphael, Walkerma, Wavelength, Weiteck,
Wervo, Wik, Wiki alf, Wikislemur, WilfriedC, William Avery, Wimvandorst, Wk muriithi, Wkltan, Wmahan, WriterHound, XJamRastafire, Xchrisblackx, Xcomradex, Xeno, Yahia.barie,
Yakobbokay, Zxmaster, ~K, ‫طبلا يلع نسح‬, 602 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:Benzene-2D-full.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Benzene-2D-full.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:Ephemeronium
File:Benzene-aromatic-3D-balls.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Benzene-aromatic-3D-balls.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Benjah-bmm27
File:Benzene circle.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Benzene_circle.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:Bryan Derksen
File:Benzene-3D-vdW.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Benzene-3D-vdW.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Benjah-bmm27
File:Yes check.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Yes_check.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:Gmaxwell, User:WarX
File:Historic Benzene Formulae Kekulé (original).png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Historic_Benzene_Formulae_Kekulé_(original).png  License: Public Domain
 Contributors: Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz (1829–1896)
Image:Historic Benzene Formulae V.3.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Historic_Benzene_Formulae_V.3.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:Jü
File:Benzene Representations.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Benzene_Representations.svg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0  Contributors:
User:Vladsinger
Image:Equilibrium.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Equilibrium.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:L'Aquatique
File:Benzene_uses.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Benzene_uses.png  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0  Contributors: User:Itub
Image:OChem-Mech-ElectrophilicAromaticSubstitution-General.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:OChem-Mech-ElectrophilicAromaticSubstitution-General.png
 License: Public Domain  Contributors: Conscious, David Berardan, Leyo, Shizhao
Image:Friedel-Crafts acylation of benzene by ethanol chloride.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Friedel-Crafts_acylation_of_benzene_by_ethanol_chloride.png
 License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: User:Diberri
Image:Friedel-craft-alk.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Friedel-craft-alk.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:Yikrazuul
File:Benzol.JPG  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Benzol.JPG  License: unknown  Contributors: . Original uploader was DFS454 at en.wikipedia

License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
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