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Prevention: Environmental

Benzene in the Air

Benzene concentrations in the air are going down.

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Benzene and Cancer

Measure

Period

Trend

Most Recent Estimate

Healthy People 2010 Target

Groups at High Risk for Benzene Exposure

Key Issues

Links to Additional Information

Benzene and Cancer

Benzene is a natural part of crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke. It is also used as a

gasoline additive and in the manufacture of a number of products.

The general population's main exposure to benzene is inhaling air that contains it.About half of

human exposures to benzene come from smoking and secondhand smoke. Other sources

include vapors from heavy traffic and gas stations. Long-term exposure to high levels of

benzene in the air can cause leukemia.

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Measure

National yearly average concentrations of benzene in the air in metropolitan areas, measured

in micrograms per cubic meter.

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Period – 1993-1998

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Trend – Falling

Adult Smoking

Quitting Smoking

Youth Smoking

Age of Smoking Initiation

Alcohol Consumption

Fruit and Vegetable

Consumption

Fat Consumption

Weight

PhysicalActivity

Sun Protection

Secondhand Smoke

Radon in the Home

Benzene in theAir

Report-at-a-Glance

Prevention

Early Detection

Diagnosis

Treatment

Life After Cancer

End of Life

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Weighted regression lines (utilizing standard errors) are calculated using the JoinpointRegression Program, Version

2.7. Sept. 2003,National Cancer Institute. (See Methodologyfor Characterizing Trends)

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From 1993 to 1998, the average yearly concentrations of benzene declined by 37 percent.

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Most Recent Estimate

In 1998, the average concentration of benzene was 1.85 micrograms per cubic meter.

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Healthy People 2010 Target

There is no Healthy People 2010 target for this measure.

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Groups at High Risk for Benzene Exposure

People who are exposed to benzene include those who work around or with benzene,

smokers, and people who are exposed to secondhand smoke.

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Key Issues

The Environmental ProtectionAgency says that benzene concentrations in the air have

declined because reformulated gasoline is being used in many parts of the United States. This

is an example of how changes to the environment can help to lower cancer risk.

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More measures of environmental chemical carcinogen exposures—such as those reported by

the National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention —need to be tracked over time.

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Links to additional information on benzene in the air:

Tenth Report on Carcinogens, Revised January 2001 (EHIS)

http://ehis.niehs.nih.gov/roc/

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts3.html

NationalAir Quality and Emissions Trends Report, 1998 (EPA Office ofAir Quality

Planning and Standards)

http://www.epa.gov/oar/aqtrnd98/toc.html

National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. Results by Category

(National Center for Environmental Health, CDC)

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/dls/report/results/categorylist.htm

Page last modified: 11/08/2005

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