Health consequences of involuntary exposure to benzene following a flaring incident at British Petroleum refinery in Texas City
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5055/ajdm.2013.0124Keywords:
benzene poisoning, blood disorders, chemical exposure, health impact, hematologic toxicity, hepatotoxicity, petroleum refinery, urinary metabolites of benzeneAbstract
Objective: Environmental exposure to benzene can lead to deleterious effects on many biological systems including blood-forming organs, liver, and kidneys. The authors sought to investigate the health consequences of benzene exposure following a flaring incident that occurred at the British Petroleum (BP) refinery in Texas City, TX.
Subjects and participants: A cohort of subjects who were exposed to a daily sustained release of toxic chemicals including more than 7,711 kg (17,000 lb) of benzene for a total duration of 40 days due to BP’s flaring incident.
Interventions: Not applicable to an observational study.
Methods: Subjects who underwent physical and clinical evaluation between June 2010 and October 2012 were included. Demographic and clinical laboratory data were collected and analyzed. Hematologic data such as white blood cell (WBC) counts, platelet counts, hemoglobin, hematocrit, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine levels in the serum were evaluated. In addition, data on alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate amino transferase (AST), and alanine amino transferase (ALT) levels in the serum were examined. Urinary phenol was evaluated as a benzene metabolite. The outcomes were compared between exposed and unexposed patients.
Results: A total of 200 subjects (benzene exposed, n = 100 and unexposed, n = 100) were included. Benzene exposed subjects showed significantly higher levels of WBC (×103 per μL) count (8.6 ± 5.4 vs 6.5 ± 2.0, p = 0.0003) and platelet (×103 per μL) count (291.3 ± 82.7 vs 264.1 ± 74.0, p = 0.0076) compared with the unexposed subjects. ALP (IU/L) was significantly elevated in the benzene exposed subjects compared with the unexposed subjects (121.2 ± 73.7 vs 65.4 ± 23.6, p = 0.000). Similarly, benzene exposed subjects had significantly higher levels of AST (IU/L) compared with unexposed subjects (23.4 ± 11.8 vs 19.5 ± 8.9, p = 0.0089).
Conclusion: This retrospective pilot study found that environmental benzene exposure from the BP’s flaring incident appears to pose significant health risks including specific alteration of blood cells and liver enzymes, indicating that subjects exposed to benzene may be at a higher risk of developing hepatic or blood related disorders.
References
Rothman N, Smith MT,Hayes RB, et al.: An epidemiologic study of early biologic effects of benzene in Chinese workers. Environ Health Perspect. 1996; 104(suppl 6): 1365-1370.
Wallace L: Environmental exposure to benzene: An update. Environ Health Perspect. 1996; 104(suppl 6): 1129-1136.
Smith MT: Advances in understanding benzene health effects and susceptibility. Annu Rev Public Health. 2010; 31: 133-148.
Snyder R, Hedli CC: An overview of benzene metabolism. Environ Health Perspect. 1996; 104(suppl 6): 1165-1171.
Glass DC, Gray CN, Jolley DJ, et al.: Leukemia risk associated with low-level benzene exposure. Epidemiology. 2003; 14: 569-577.
Infante PF, White MC: Benzene: Epidemiologic observations of leukemia by cell type and adverse health effects associated with low-level exposure. Environ Health Perspect. 1983; 52: 75-82.
Steinmaus C, Smith AH, Jones RM, et al.: Meta-analysis of benzene exposure and non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Biases could mask an important association. Occup Environ Med. 2008; 65: 371-378.
Li G,Yin S: Progress of epidemiological and molecular epidemiological studies on benzene in China. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006; 1076: 800-809.
ATSDR. Public Health Statement: Benzene. CAS#: 71-43-2. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 2007. Available at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp3-c1-b.pdf.Accessed September 2013.
ATSDR: Toxicological profile for benzene. In US DHHS.PB/98/101157/AS: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 1997. Available at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp3-c3.pdf. Accessed September 2013.
American Cancer Society, Inc. 2011.Available at http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/intheworkplace/benzene. Accessed September 2013.
Vlaanderen J, Lan Q, Kromhout H, et al.: Occupational benzene exposure and the risk of chronic myeloid leukemia: A meta-analysis of cohort studies incorporating study quality dimensions. Am J Ind Med. 2012; 55: 779-785.
McHale CM, Zhang L, Smith MT: Current understanding of the mechanism of benzene-induced leukemia in humans: Implications for risk assessment. Carcinogenesis. 2012; 33: 240-252.
Khalade A, Jaakkola MS, Pukkala E, et al.: Exposure to benzene at work and the risk of leukemia: A systematic review and metaanalysis. Environ Health. 2010; 9: 31-38.
Nishikawa T, Izumo K, Miyahara E, et al.: Benzene induces cytotoxicity without metabolic activation. J Occup Health. 2011; 53: 84-92.
Saha S, Mukhopadhyay MK, Ghosh PD, et al.: Effect of methanolic leaf extract of Ocimum basilicum L. on benzene-induced hematotoxicity in mice. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012; 2012: 176385.
Costantini AS, Benvenuti A,Vineis P, et al.: Risk of leukemia and multiple myeloma associated with exposure to benzene and other organic solvents: Evidence from the Italian Multicenter Case-control study. Am J Ind Med. 2008; 51: 803-811.
Travis LB, Li CY, Zhang ZN, et al.: Hematopoietic malignancies and related disorders among benzene-exposed workers in China. Leuk Lymphoma. 1994; 14: 91-102.
Hayes RB, Yin S, Rothman N, et al.: Benzene and lymphohematopoietic malignancies in China. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2000; 61: 419-432.
Bloemen LJ, Youk A, Bradley TD, et al.: Lymphohaematopoietic cancer risk among chemical workers exposed to benzene. Occup Environ Med. 2004; 61: 270-274.
Avis SP, Hutton CJ: Acute benzene poisoning: A report of three fatalities. J Forensic Sci. 1993; 38: 599-602.
Barbera N, Bulla G, Romano G: A fatal case of benzene poisoning. J Forensic Sci. 1998; 43: 1250-1251.
Winek CL, Collom WD: Benzene and toluene fatalities. J Occup Med. 1971; 13: 259-261.
Baslo A, Aksoy M: Neurological abnormalities in chronic benzene poisoning. A study of six patients with aplastic anemia and two with preleukemia. Environ Res. 1982; 27: 457-465.
Mandiracioglu A, Akgur S,Kocabiyik N, et al.: Evaluation of neuropsychological symptoms and exposure to benzene, toluene and xylene among two different furniture worker groups in Izmir. Toxicol Ind Health. 2011; 27: 802-809.
Dundarz MR, Turkbay T, Akay C, et al.: Antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in adolescents with inhalant abuse. Turk J Pediatr. 2003; 45: 43-45.
Dere E, Ari F: Effect of benzene on liver functions in rats (Rattus norvegicus). Environ Monit Assess. 2009; 154: 23-27.
Kotseva K, Popov T: Study of the cardiovascular effects of occupational exposure to organic solvents. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1998; 71(suppl): S87-S91.
Barrett JC, Bond JA, Beane-Freeman L, et al.: International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals: Vol. 100FEvaluation. International Agency for Research on Cancer. 2012. Available at http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol100F/index.php. Accessed September 2013.
Whysner J, Reddy MV, Ross PM, et al.: Genotoxicity of benzene and its metabolites. Mutat Res. 2004; 566: 99-130.
Goldstein BD: Benzene toxicity: A critical evaluation: Hematotoxicity in humans. J Toxicol Environ Health Suppl. 1977; 2: 69-105.
Kim S, Vermeulen R,Waidyanatha S, et al.: Modeling human metabolism of benzene following occupational and environmental exposures. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2006; 15: 2246-2252.
Evans L: BP’s 40-Day Emissions Event. 2010. Available at http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/bps-40-day-emissionsevent. Accessed September 2013.
Knutson R: Available at http://www.propublica.org/article/bptexas-refinery-had-huge-toxic-release-just-before-gulf-blowout. 2010. Accessed September 2013.
Evans L: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Investigation Report. Emissions Event (Incident No. 138052) Review on British Petroleum products, North America (Investigation No. 824714). 2010.
Nakul-Aquaronne D, Sudaka-Sammarcelli I, Ferrero-Vacher C, et al.: Evaluation of the Sysmex Xe-2100 hematology analyzer in hospital use. J Clin Lab Anal. 2003; 17: 113-123.
Lamm SH, Grunwald HW: Benzene exposure and hematotoxicity. Science. 2006; 312: 998-999; author reply -9.
Liu C-S, Tsai J-H, Kuo S-W: Comparison of complete blood counts and urinary benzene metabolites after exposure to benzene. Mid Taiwan J Med. 2000; 5: 235-242.
Ray MR, Roychoudhury S, Mukherjee S, et al.: Occupational benzene exposure from vehicular sources in India and its effect on hematology, lymphocyte subsets and platelet P-selectin expression. Toxicol Ind Health. 2007; 23: 167-175.
McHale CM, Zhang L, Lan Q, et al.: Global gene expression profiling of a population exposed to a range of benzene levels. Environ Health Perspect. 2010; 119: 628-634.
Avogbe PH,Ayi-Fanou L, Cachon B, et al.: Hematological changes among Beninese motor-bike taxi drivers exposed to benzene by urban air pollution. Afr J Environ Sci Technol. 2011; 5: 464-472.
Ceresa C, Grazioli C, Monteverde A: On the behavior of thromboelastograms in rice-field leptospirosis. Minerva Med. 1960; 51: 3544-3552.
Aksoy M, Dincol K,Akgun T, et al.: Haematological effects of chronic benzene poisoning in 217 workers. Br J Ind Med. 1971; 28: 296-302.
Innerfield F: Enzymes in Clinical Chemistry. New York, USA: McGraw Hill Publications, 1960.
Droz P, Cumberland W: Benzene hepatotoxicity. Brit J Ind Med. 1989; 46: 547-552.
Khan IA, Reddy BV, Mahboob M, et al.: Effects of phosphorothionate on the reproductive system of male rats. J Environ Sci Health B. 2001; 36: 445-456.
Shamy MY, el Gazzar RM, el Sayed MA, et al.: Study of some biochemical changes among workers occupationally exposed to phenol, alone or in combination with other organic solvents. Ind Health. 1994; 32: 207-214.
Dede EB, Kagbo HD: A study on the acute toxicological effect of commercial diesel fuel in Nigeria in rats (Ratus ratus) using hematological parameters. J Appl Sci Environ Manag. 2002; 6: 84-86.
Polin SG, Spellberg MA, Teitelman L, et al.: The origin of elevation of serum alkaline phosphatase in hepatic disease. An experimental study. Gastroenterology. 1962; 42: 431-438.
Sebesta DG, Bradshaw FJ, Prockop DJ: Source of the elevated serum alkaline phosphatase activity in biliary obstruction: Studies utilizing isolated liver perfusion. Gastroenterology. 1964; 47: 166-170.
Brown EA, Shelley ML, Fisher JW: A pharmacokinetic study of occupational and environmental benzene exposure with regard to gender. Risk Anal. 1998; 18: 205-213.
Docter HJ, Zielhuis RL: Phenol excretion as a measure of benzene exposure. Ann Occup Hyg. 1967; 10: 317-226.
Inoue O, Seiji K, Kasahara M, et al.: Quantitative relation of urinary phenol levels to breathzone benzene concentrations: A factory survey. Br J Ind Med. 1986; 43: 692-697.
McDonald TA, Holland NT, Skibola C, et al.: Hypothesis: Phenol and hydroquinone derived mainly from diet and gastrointestinal flora activity are causal factors in leukemia. Leukemia. 2001; 15: 10-20.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright 2007-2023, Weston Medical Publishing, LLC
All Rights Reserved
