Human Carcinogen

Benedictine University

Master of Public health

Human Carcinogen

By

Akaraka Destiny Onyeju

Introduction

Over the past decade, there has been several concern about the possibility of adverse effect and health related problems resulting from exposure to human carcinogens such as Benzene, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) and Trichloroethylene (TCE). Everyday people around the world use chemical that are more toxic and carcinogenic with a deficit knowledge of its deadly effects in humans. For examples, people make use of paint brushes to clean or paint-splattered hand with gasoline which contains a large amount of benzene and other dangerous chemicals without knowing their health effects on them. This paper will address three human carcinogens benzene, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) and Trichloroethylene (TCE), their health effects, some related incidents and how humans can limit their exposure to these carcinogens

Benzene

Benzene is one of the frequently used chemicals in the United States; it rank in the top 20 chemicals for productive volume. It is a clear, colorless, volatile, non-corrosive, highly flammable, fat-soluble, and liquid at room temperature with strong aromatic odor. Benzene, evaporates quickly into the air and dissolves easily into the water. This human carcinogen occurs naturally and it’s produced by volcanoes, forest and found in crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke. Benzene is also utilized to produce other chemicals such as plastics, solvent, resins, lubricants, rubbers, detergents, pesticides and drugs. Benzene has been identified by the U.S environmental Protection Agency as a human carcinogen that is temporarily stored in the body’s bone and fat. The international Agency for Cancer Research also classified benzene a carcinogenic to humans. Though the mechanism by which it increases the risk of carcinogenesis are not well understand but it has been found to cause hematopoietic disorder and ineffective bone functions.

Exposure and health effects.

Benzene have been determined to cause cell to function ineffectively. It can cause bone marrow to have a reductions in all blood cell types leading to anemia (red blood cell) and it can cause excessive bleeding and impaired blood clotting ability (platelets) and also affect the immune system (white cells) thereby increasing the chances of infection and loss of white blood cell leading to change of antibodies in the blood levels. Acute inhalation of increased level of benzene may cause central nervous system and gastrointestinal effects like dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache, drowsiness, tremor and loss of consciousness. Research have shown that increased incidences of this carcinogen leads to cancers like acute myeloblstic or erythroblstic leukemia and chronic myeloid and lymphoid leukemia. Increased levels of benzene in woman can lead to irregular menstrual periods and probably decrease the size of the ovaries. During pregnancy, benzene can pass from the mother’s blood to the fetus.