Benzene exposure from gasoline vapour

Abstract

Benzene is a human carcinogen. Low level exposure at 1 ppm would have an increased risk of death from leukemia to 155 times over the general population. The use of volatile chemicals with low benzene content can lead to significant exposure to benzene. Local gasolines contain benzene levels ranging from 1.8 to 3.7%. Benzene exposure to groups of workers associated with the gasoline were studied. The gasoline station attendants were found to exposed to a short-term exposure levels (STEL) of 0.064 to 179 ppm. Their 8-hr time-weighted averaged (TWA) exposure were from 0.028 to 0.71 ppm. For the motorcar service mechanics, the TWA exposure levels ranged from 0.014 to 1.7 ppm. The gasoline tank truck drivers' benzene exposures ranged from 0.08 to 2.37 ppm for personal TWA exposure over the whole workshift. For local persons not occupationally exposed to gasoline or other benzene containing volatile chemicals, the exposure from the ambient environment ranged from 0.0023 to 0.027 ppm.