CAS# 71-43-2

September 1997

Stereo Image
XYZ File

NFPA Label Key

Material Safety Data Sheet
(University of Utah)

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry


HIGHLIGHTS: Benzene is a widely used chemical formed from both natural processes and human activities. Breathing benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, and unconsciousness; long-term benzene exposure causes effects on the bone marrow and can cause anemia and leukemia. Benzene has been found in at least 813 of the 1,430 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

What is benzene?



What happens to benzene when it enters the environment?

How might I be exposed to benzene?

How can benzene affect my health?

Animal testing is sometimes necessary to find out how toxic substances might harm people or to treat those who have been exposed. Laws today protect the welfare of research animals and scientists must follow strict guidelines.


The major effect of benzene from long-term (365 days or longer) exposure is on the blood. Benzene causes harmful effects on the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance for infection.

Some women who breathed high levels of benzene for many months had irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in the size of their ovaries. It is not known whether benzene exposure affects the developing fetus in pregnant women or fertility in men. Animal studies have shown low birth weights, delayed bone formation, and bone marrow damage when pregnant animals breathed benzene.

How likely is benzene to cause cancer?


Is there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to benzene?

Several test can show if you have been exposed to benzene. There is test for measuring benzene in the breath; this test must be done shortly after exposure. Benzene can also be measured in the blood, however, since benzene disappears rapidly from the blood, measurements are accurate only for recent exposures.

In the body, benzene is converted to products called metabolites. Certain metabolites can be measured in the urine. However, this test must be done shortly after exposure and is not a reliable indicator of how much benzene you have been exposed to, since the metabolites may be present in urine from other sources.

Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health?

The EPA has set the maximum permissible level of benzene in drinking water at 0.005 milligrams per liter (0.005 mg/L). The EPA requires that spills or accidental releases into the environment of 10 pounds or more of benzene be reported to the EPA.



A decreased ability of the blood to transport oxygen
A substance with the ability to cause cancer
Chemical Abstracts Service
Parts of the cells responsible for the development of hereditary characteristics
Breakdown products of chemicals
Milligram (mg):
One thousandth of a gram
A substance that kills pests


Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 1995. Toxicological profile for benzene (update). Atlanta, GA; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.

Where can I get more information?


For more information, contact:

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-800-447-1544
Fax: 404-639-6359

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Service
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
