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• � Ultramar
<br /> Refining
<br /> (IARC); ANIMAL LIMITED EVIDENCE (IARC). THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXPOSURE TO
<br /> BENZENE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACUTE MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED
<br /> IN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES.
<br /> BENZENE IS AN EYE AND SKIN IRRITANT, A CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DEPRESSANT AND
<br /> A BONE MARROW DEPRESSANT. POISONING MAY AFFECT THE HEMATOPOIETIC SYSTEM.
<br /> PERSONS AT INCREASED RISK FROM EXPOSURE MAY INCLUDE FEMALES AND THOSE WITH
<br /> CERTAIN IMMUNOLOGIC TENDENCIES. USE OF ALCOHOL MAY ENHANCE THE TOXIC EFFECTS.
<br /> EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES INVOLVING PETROLEUM REFINERY WORKERS INDICATE
<br /> PERSONS WITH ROUTINE EXPOSURE TO PETROLEUM OR ONE OF ITS CONSTITUENTS MAY
<br /> BE AT AN INCREASED RISK TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BENIGN NEOPLASMS, DIGESTIVE
<br /> SYSTEM CANCERS, AND SKIN CANCER, PARTICULARLY MELANOMA.
<br /> THIS STUDY APPLIES TO THE FOLLOWING COMPONENT(S): GASOLINE, BENZENE.
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<br /> HEALTH EFFECTS AND FIRST AID
<br /> INHALATION:
<br /> GASOLINE, AUTOMOTIVE, UNLEADED:
<br /> IRRITANT/NARCOTIC/ASPHYXIANT.
<br /> ACUTE EXPOSURE- LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF VAPOR MAY CAUSE RESPIRATORY TRACT
<br /> IRRITATION AND BURNING WITH COUGH AND SORE THROAT. MAY CAUSE CENTRAL
<br /> NERVOUS SYSTEM DEPRESSION WITH HEADACHE, DIZZINESS, DROWSINESS, FLUSHING
<br /> OF THE FACE, STAGGERING, SLURRED SPEECH, DIFFICULTY SWALLOWING, CONFUSION
<br /> OR EUPHORIA. HIGHER LEVELS MAY CAUSE DYSPNEA, PULMONARY EDEMA WITH BLOODY
<br /> SPUTUM OR BRONCHIAL PNEUMONIA WITH FEVER. FURTHER CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
<br /> DEPRESSION MAY OCCUR WITH WEAK RESPIRATION AND PULSE, NERVOUSNESS,
<br /> IRRITABILITY, ATAXIA, UNCONSCIOUSNESS AND CONVULSIONS. CARDIAC
<br /> ARRHYTHMIAS AND VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION INDICATE MYOCARDIAL DAMAGE. EVEN
<br /> BRIEF EXPOSURE TO CONCENTRATIONS ABOVE 2000 PPM ARE NOT SAFE. DEATH MAY
<br /> OCCUR FROM RESPIRATORY FAILURE. EXTREMELY HIGH CONCENTRATIONS MAY CAUSE
<br /> ASPHYXIATION.
<br /> CHRONIC EXPOSURE- REPEATED OR PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO VAPORS MAY CAUSE
<br /> DIZZINESS, WEAKNESS, NERVOUSNESS, PAINS IN THE LIMBS, PERIPHERAL
<br /> NUMBNESS OR PARESTHESIAS. ANOREXIA, WEIGHT LOSS, PALLOR, FATIGUE,
<br /> CONFUSION AND ANEMIA MAY DEVELOP. LIVER OR KIDNEY DAMAGE ARE POSSIBLE.
<br /> HIGH CONCENTRATIONS MAY CAUSE BONE MARROW HYPOPLASIA. ADDICTION TO VAPORS
<br /> HAS BEEN REPORTED. A STUDY SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE
<br /> REPORTED AN INCREASE IN RENAL AND HEPATOCELLULAR ADENOMAS AND CARCINOMAS
<br /> IN MALE RATS AND FEMALE MICE.
<br /> BENZENE:
<br /> NARCOTIC/LEUKEMOGEN.
<br /> ACUTE EXPOSURE- 200-500 PPM BENZENE HAS CAUSED CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
<br /> DEPRESSION WITH DIZZINESS, WEAKNESS, HEADACHE, CONFUSION, NAUSEA AND
<br /> VOMITING. CONCENTRATIONS ABOVE 3000 PPM IRRITATE THE RESPIRATORY TRACT.
<br /> SEVERE EXPOSURE MAY RESULT IN NAUSEA, EUPHORIA, STAGGERING, SPEECH
<br /> DISTURBANCES, CONVULSIONS, MYDRIASIS, TINNITIS AND POSSIBLE COMA.
<br /> THROMBOCYTOPENIA MAY DEVELOP WITHIN 2-3 DAYS OF ACUTE EXPOSURE. THE
<br /> PLATELET COUNT MAY FALL TO AS LOW AS 10% OF NORMAL RESULTING IN PETECHIAL
<br /> HEMMORRHAGES AND POSSIBLE SPONTANEOUS BLEEDING IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL
<br /> TRACT OR LUNGS. WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT ALSO FALLS DRASTICALLY, INCREASING
<br /> SUSCEPTIBILITY TO SECONDARY INFECTIONS SUCH AS BRONCHOPNEUMONIA. RENAL
<br /> TUBULAR NECROSIS, LIVER DAMAGE AND CEREBRAL EDEMA ARE POSSIBLE. RECOVERY
<br /> FROM MODERATE BENZENE EXPOSURE MAY TAKE 1-4 WEEKS WITH UNSTEADY GAIT,
<br /> NERVOUS IRRITABILITY AND BREATHLESSNESS PERSISTING 2 WEEKS, WHILE
<br /> CARDIAC DISTRESS AND THE PECULIAR YELLOW COLOR OF THE SKIN MAY LAST AS
<br /> LONG AS 1 MONTH. DROWSINESS AND DIZZINESS, RAPIDLY PROGRESSING TO
<br /> UNCONCIOUSNESS, COLLAPSE AND DEATH WITHIN 5-10 MINUTES RESULTED FROM
<br /> EXPOSURE TO 20,000 PPM OR 64 GM/M3 OF COMMERCIAL BENZENE. DEATH HAS
<br /> OCCURRED FROM VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION, FOLLOWING A LARGE ACUTE EXPOSURE.
<br /> AUTOPSIES REVEALED HEMORRHAGES IN THE BRAIN, PERICARDIUM, URINARY TRACT,
<br /> MUCOUS MEMBRANES AND SKIN. AFTER A SINGLE EXPOSURE, SUDDEN CARDIAC
<br /> ARRHYTHMIA MAY OCCUR WITHIN 24 HOURS; DEATH FROM CENjRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM,
<br /> RESPIRATORY OR HEMORRHAGIC COMPLICATIONS IS POSSIBLE WITHIN 5 DAYS. LATE
<br /> EFFECTS OF ACUTE EXPOSURE MAY INCLUDE SEVERE SKIN RASH, INCREASED
<br /> CAPILLARY PERMEABILITY, PETECHIAL HEMORRHAGES, DECREASED COAGULATION AND
<br /> SEVERE ANEMIA. BENZENE HAS AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE IMMUNOLOGICAL
<br /> MECHANISM. INCREASED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO TUBERCULOSIS AND PNEUMONIA HAS
<br /> BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN BENZENE TREATED RABBITS. BENZENE INTOXICATED PERSONS
<br /> READILY SUCCUMB TO INFECTION AND THE TERMINAL EVENT IN SEVERE BENZENE
<br /> TOXICITY IS OFTEN AN ACUTE OVERWHELMING INFECTION. BENZENE CROSSES
<br /> THE PLACENTAL BARRIER AND THEREFORE MAY AFFECT UNBORN CHILDREN.
<br /> CHRONIC EXPOSURE- LONG-TERM EXPOSURES TO LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF BENZENE HAVE
<br /> BEEN OBSERVED TO HAVE AN INITIAL STIMULANT EFFECT ON THE BONE MARROW,
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