Silent Poison: A Brief Guide to the Dangers of Benzene in the Workplace

What is Benzene?

Benzene is a naturally occurring chemical commonly found in substances such as tobacco smoke and motor vehicle exhaust. Highly volatile with a relatively low boiling point of 80.1℃, benzene is most frequently detected in its gaseous state. Often used to make other chemicals used in the production of dyes, synthetic rubber, fibers and resins, as well as food products and fragrances, benzene is a very in-demand industrial chemical. Industrial benzene is primarily obtained from crude oil through processes such as the steam cracking or reforming of naphtha, or the dealkylation of toluene and xylene.

Hazards of Benzene

Benzene is an extremely useful substance, but at the same time it also implies a series of risks that must be taken into consideration during its use. Now we will look at three major hazards of benzene: its flammability, its adverse health effects, and its negative impact on the environment.

Flammability

Benzene is a highly flammable substance which is easily ignited when exposed to heat or sparks. It is therefore particularly important that work using fire not be performed in work environments where benzene is used, and that measures be put into place to prevent the buildup of static electricity or electrical equipment from starting a fire. Benzene also has a high vapor pressure, causing it to expand in volume when exposed to even minimal amounts of heat, which may result in an explosion, especially when it is allowed to build up in the air. It is therefore essential to ensure proper ventilation at all times.

Adverse Health Effects

Benzene can cause immediate harm to human health when exposed to high concentrations. However, long-term exposure to even low concentrations is also known to cause significant adverse health effects. Repeated, long-term exposure to benzene in the workplace is known to increase the risk of blood cancers such as leukemia as well as other potentially fatal conditions, including birth defects and chromosomal abnormalities. The harmful effects of benzene can be observed not only when inhaled but also when it comes into contact with the skin or mouth.

Environmental Concerns

Benzene is highly volatile at room temperature, meaning that most benzene vaporizes and is broken down naturally in the atmosphere. However, when found deep within the soil or groundwater, it does not vaporize easily and instead begins to build up, and when in an anaerobic environment it takes an extremely long time to be broken down by microbes, causing it to build up and contaminate the groundwater. Special care must be taken to manage benzene concentrations in areas particularly prone to high concentrations of benzene, such as the former sites of natural gas plants and gas stations.

Common Accidents Involving Benzene

It is important to take the hazards mentioned above into consideration whenever benzene is used in the workplace. We must first understand what the most common accidents at each workplace look like, perform a risk assessment, and put any other necessary measures in place to prevent them. We will now introduce some common examples of accidents involving benzene.

Accidents when working within shipboard tanks

Shipboard tanks are designed to be airtight to prevent any leakage of liquids or gases. They are therefore prone to the accumulation of any toxic gases emitted and put workers at risk for gas poisoning. Tanks used in crude oil shipping such as those found on crude oil tankers are prone to the accumulation of sludge composed of liquids such as petroleum-related substances and seawater, microbes and other decomposing agents, as well as sand and rust. This sludge may contain benzene, and benzene poisoning can occur during the process of cleaning the sludge. Such cases of benzene poisoning are often caused by inadequate assessment of the risks related to the contents of the tank, or by not choosing the right protective and gas detection equipment gas detectors. Thorough risk assessment is an essential part of mitigating benzene-related hazards in the workplace.

Chemical plant gas leaks

Benzene and other VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are often used as solvents in chemical plants in a wide range of industries. In processes such as the drying process benzene vapors are released into the air and can pollute the environment when allowed to escape into the surrounding environment. Governments have responded to the issue by establishing regulations which aim to prevent such sources of air pollution. In Japan, for example, the Air Pollution Control Act identifies benzene as one of several harmful air pollutants and imposes limits on its emissions. It establishes that annual average benzene concentration must never exceed 0.003mg/㎥, with the aim of minimizing the health risks involved from long-term exposure. These legal regulations have made it necessary for companies to monitor the amount of benzene emissions being released into the environment, take the necessary steps to reduce these emissions, and ensure they stay within regulatory limits. This includes periodic monitoring of each specific work environment, including measuring levels of benzene and other VOCs.

Benzene Detection

As you can see, benzene is a hazardous substance which requires special care when working with it. Because it is a known carcinogen, strict regulations have been put in place to ensure that concentrations remain within a safe limit and protect the health and safety of workers. For this reason, low threshold limit values have been established for this substance in each country. OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, for example, sets the time-weighted average concentration (TWA) of benzene at 1 ppm and the short-term exposure limit (STEL) at 5 ppm.

However, benzene is almost never found in the air in isolation. Instead, it is usually found together with other aromatic hydrocarbons, making it particularly difficult to selectively measure benzene concentrations alone. That is where Riken Keiki comes in. Here at Riken Keiki, we have developed the perfect solutions optimized for managing this and other common issues.

Ensuring Worker Safety

Riken Keiki offers the perfect solution to allow for selective detection of benzene concentrations.

GX-6000

This portable multi gas monitor allows for simultaneous detection of up to 6 different gases, including flammable gases such as methane, oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, and other noxious gases, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene. It even allows for selective detection of benzene with its “benzene select mode”. Use with a special PID sensor and filter for selective detection of benzene within a range of 0-50 ppm. Detect up to 6 gases at once with just one device, significantly reducing the workload required for gas detection and measurement. And what’s more, you can detect some 200 of the chemical substances, for example, out of 896 substances subject to risk assessment measures by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.(As of April 2024) Making this the perfect tool for a wide range of other safety management applications in addition to benzene detection and monitoring.

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At Riken Keiki, we have developed a wide range of solutions optimized to mitigate the hazards of benzene exposure in the workplace. If you are interested in learning more about gas detectors and measuring benzene levels, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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