It has a sweet odor and is highly flammable. At the American Cancer Society, we have a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. In many cases, Valisure found one batch of a product would contain benzene while another of the same product would not. When more foam was applied, he added, the benzene levels would drop. At the ITC tank farm, the fire was out, but a new danger emerged. Since at least 2002, EPA and TCEQ inspectors had reported high emissions of benzene and other chemicals from that same area. "I thought to myself, 'This is not a migraine - this is totally different,' " she said. Browse Benzene and related products at MilliporeSigma. Seven were now burning; the tanks contained naphtha, xylene, gas blendstock and pygas, a blend of chemicals that's rich in benzene. Based on animal and human evidence, several expert agencies have evaluated the cancer-causing potential of benzene. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene has been tied to thedevelopment of leukemiaand other cancers, as well as various menstrual issues in women and birth defects in their children. The TCEQ, meanwhile, advised "sensitive populations" - including elderly residents, pregnant people and children - to limit outdoor physical activity and told everyone to avoid any black smoke still drifting through the area. But, "of course they are going to downplay it.". Why have there been so many recent reports of drugs containing benzene? Texas has guidelines that define what level of exposure to various chemicals could affect people's health; for benzene, it's 180 parts per billion in an hour. The petroleum-based chemical causes cancer, especially leukemia and in blood forming organs, the US Department of Health and Human Services wrote. What Is Benzene? Carcinogen Found in Some Sunscreens, Explained she asks family and coworkers whenever she spots what might be dangerous. The Carcinogen Benzene Was Found In These 78 Sunscreens - Shape Stay up-to-date with how the law affects your life. As the fire at ITC spread from tank to tank, an ominous black plume of smoke spiraled over the Houston skyline. The NIOSH sets benzene's recommended occupational exposure limit at .1 parts per million (ppm), which makes Valisure's findings of 2 ppm or higher in some sunscreens, from Neutrogena, Sun Bum, and . "I'm very proud to stand here as mayor and recognize all of the officials and volunteers who waited in line to take their turn to fight for our community," Mouton said. FDA has recommended the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) remove (or omit) certain carbomer monographs from their compendium that allow for unacceptable levels of benzene (a USP monograph is a written document that provides the quality expectations for a medicine or ingredient). The lab, Valisure, last year detected benzene in hand sanitizers, sunscreens, deodorant, dry shampoos, conditioners, antiperspirants, deodorants, body sprays and anti-fungal treatments. Then, Unified Command notified local authorities. Stephen Rappaport, a leading environmental health sciences researcher who studies chemical exposures and professor emeritus at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health, said there is "no safe level for a carcinogen," but added, "the evidence shows it tends to be people who have a fairly high exposure for fairly long periods of time [who develop cancer]." For two months after the 2019 fire, an Environmental Protection Agency van traveled around a region east of Houston capturing thousands of measurements of benzene - a known human carcinogen that can cause headaches, nausea and other symptoms. "That kind of turmoil is haunting," said Ochoa, who is now 43. TheInternational Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)is part of the World Health Organization (WHO). On six of those days, the spikes occurred in industrial areas near the ITC facility, but on March 31 - a full two weeks after the fire began - benzene spikes above 1,000 parts per billion were recorded in a residential area of Deer Park. He took his son to the hospital the next morning. Drug manufacturers are required to ensure the safety and quality of their drugs. Consistent with the recommendations of the ICH Q3 guidance, manufacturers should not use benzene in the manufacture of drugs. He was checking the windsocks mounted around the plant and jotting down the direction of the wind to help the plant workers plan the best evacuation route - just in case. "You don't know what you are inhaling or putting in your body," Anthony Guevara said. By FindLaw Staff | What were seeing is a fundamental problem in the manufacturing of a lot of consumer products. To date, Valisure has tested 662 items and found the chemical in 180, or about 27%, of products. FDA is also aware of ingredients, such as the antifungal preservative sodium benzoate, that in combination with chemicals, such as antioxidants in a drug formulation, may yield benzene under certain conditions. The site is secure. Still, the state renewed the chemical permit for ITC's Deer Park facility less than a year after the fire. Exposure to benzene liquid or vapor can irritate the skin, eyes, and throat. These include the rubber industry, oil refineries, chemical plants, shoe manufacturers, and gasoline-related industries. Benzene | Medical Management Guidelines | Toxic Substance Portal | ATSDR Accessed at https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/benzene/basics/facts.asp on January 25, 2023. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Its also important to follow recommended screening guidelines, which can help detect certain cancers early. Meanwhile, residents, news reports and meteorologists anxiously tracked the black smoke plume that snaked over the Houston area. Other people who may be exposed to benzene at work include steel workers, printers, lab technicians, gas station employees, and firefighters. For short-term exposure to high levels of benzene, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting away from the source of benzene, removing any clothing that may have benzene on it, washing exposed areas with soap and water, and getting medical care as soon as possible. Although FDA testing is rigorous and standards are high, it's not a foolproof system, she adds. "People need to be able to make their own decisions," Hopkins said. In order to ensure their products conform to appropriate quality specifications (21 CFR 211.84, 21 CFR 211.160), and consistent with the recommendations in the ICH Q3C guidance, applicants and manufacturers who identify risks of benzene contamination from drug components or confirm the presence of benzene in a drug product should also take steps to use ingredients without benzene, or, if justified, use suppliers that minimize risk of unacceptable benzene impurity levels. Yet throughout the area that day, residents from Deer Park and surrounding cities swarmed the pop-up county health clinics complaining of eye, ear, nose and throat irritation, severe headaches and trouble breathing. However, the evidence is not as strong for these cancers. Companies claim they arent adding it to their formulas, and the FDA theorized that its probably in contaminated thickening agents, preservatives, spray propellant or ethanol. And the refineries and chemical plants are a boon to their economy: The city of more than 34,000 people has a median household income of about $81,500 - higher than nearby Houston, where the median household earns $55,500. 1," Mayor Mouton said that day at another press conference. Benzene: Can it cause leukemia? - Medical News Today Benzene is a component of products derived from coal and petroleum and is found in gasoline and other fuels. "I was gasping for air.". It is absolutely critical that you do not delay. But exposure to benzene at levels high enough to cause these symptoms is pretty rare. The NTP has classified benzene as known to be a human carcinogen.. "It's horrifying, scary. He said county officials didn't feel they were being told everything they needed to know. "We didn't want to alarm the public needlessly," Hemminger said. The recall applies to all can sizes and SPF levels, according to the press release, and you can check your Aveeno or Neutrogena sunscreen's lot number, label, and expiration date to confirm if yours is affected on Neutrogena's website. The company said it has installed additional gas detectors and emergency shutdown valves in multiple areas of its facility. As officials declared victory, Mario Ochoa's mother could hardly breathe. It is harmful to the eyes, skin, airway, nervous system, and lungs. He felt helpless. And now, Johnson & Johnson is voluntarily recalling five of its Neutrogena and Aveeno sunscreens some of which were mentioned in Valisure's report after their own internal testing found low levels of benzene in some samples of the products, according to a company press release. The American Cancer Society is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Luoping Zhang, a researcher and adjunct professor of toxicology at the University of California, Berkeley, said after reviewing some of the EPA's data that she was shocked the samples were collected outdoors in the middle of the day because benzene typically breaks down quickly in the sunlight and open air. ITC's operational permit is up for renewal this year and some residents have raised safety concerns about the facility ahead of the permit renewal; a public hearing will be held in May. The findings suggest that benzene contamination is widespread and is probably in more products that have not yet been tested, said David Light, Valisures chief executive. But Deer Park City Manager James Stokes said air monitoring readings looked "favorable" as the fire burned off the dangerous chemicals. 15 Sunscreens Without Benzene and the Recall List - InStyle With fire out, officials declare victory - March 20, 2019. On May 25, the company released a report after testing 294 sunscreens and sun aftercare products and found 78 of them contained benzene, a known carcinogen that has been linked to harmful effects in humans such as cancer and other serious medical conditions. One Harris County official estimated that all together, more than 400 personnel took air samples throughout the response. Toxic benzene lingered after shelter-in-place warnings ended following Can a new law help? With exposures from less than five years to more than 30 years, individuals have developed, and died from, leukemia. It might not be possible to avoid benzene completely. Benzene was experimentally confirmed to be flat molecule by Dame Kathleen Londsale with X-ray crystallography. Bob Royall, then-assistant chief for the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office, said it was one of the longest fires that he had battled in his almost five-decade career. The map shows benzene levels along the van's route. Texas' health agency similarly concluded that although benzene is a carcinogen, exposure during the incident "is not expected to increase people's risk of cancer. It evaporates quickly when exposed to air. Places Where Benzene May Be Found. Benzene drifted for miles through the community. "We don't know the source of the benzene, but it could relate to how a particular ingredient was manufactured, where it was sourced, or how it moved through the supply chain," Tod Cooperman, M.D., wrote in a review of the Valisure report for ConsumberLab.com. In the end, officials decided that Deer Park and ITC would lead response efforts. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy. And because I'm a single dad with a kid, I gotta find a different way.". Final Rule. Long-term exposure may affect bone marrow and blood production. ToxFAQs for Benzene. Benzene is not an ingredient intentionally used in sunscreens, but the products on Valisure's list were found to be contaminated with benzene. But when an incident occurs at a facility like ITC that's located in an unincorporated area of the county, deciding who has jurisdiction can be complicated. PDF Benzene - US EPA She then watched as the smoke plume settled above the mourning family during the funeral service.