Cancer-causing Benzene in Treatment items

A recent report raised concern about high levels of Cancer-causing Benzene found in popular treatment brands.

Key Findings of the Report:

• A laboratory tested around 66 acne treatment products that contain benzoyl peroxides like bars, liquids, creams, lotions, washes, and gels.
• It found that popular brands produce benzene at hundreds of times the conditional FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) limit.
• Several products such as dry shampoos, hand sanitizers, and sunscreens have been recalled for having excess levels of the chemical, posing a health risk to consumers.
• In some products, the benzene air was 1,270 times higher than the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) threshold.

What is benzene?

• It is a colourless liquid with a sweet odour, and evaporates into the air very quickly.
• It dissolves slightly in water, is highly flammable, and can be smelled in the air at about 60 parts of benzene per million parts of air (ppm).
• Benzene comes from both industrial and natural sources, but was first discovered and isolated from coal tar in the 1800s.
• It is used in making other chemicals like styrene, cumene, and cyclohexane.
• Benzene is used for industrial products including dyes, detergents, and plastics.

How does benzene affect health?

• It is also released into the air through cigarette smoke and emissions from automobiles as well as burning coal and oil.
• Its brief exposure of about 5–10 minutes can result in death.
• Lower levels cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness.
• Long-term exposure to benzene can cause cancer of the blood-forming organs, known as leukemia, particularly acute myeloid leukemia or AML.
• It can be extremely harmful to the reproductive organs, causing irregular menstrual periods and infertility.
  • Studies on pregnant animals show that it induces low birth weight, delayed bone formation, and bone marrow damage in the fetus.

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