Benzene, among others gaseous chemicals, has been found in the Gulf Coast air at unacceptably high levels. Benzene, a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) is a chemical gas being emitted from the crude oil at the spill. Similar VOCs have been known to travel very long distances and are likely to be present for a few more weeks, maybe months or longer.
Purchase a HealthMate Plus or similar air purifier to cleanse the air in your home. This air cleaner has a large quantity of activated carbon and a medical grade High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) filter capable of removing benzene and the other contaminating VOCs.
Background
If you do research on how far Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) will travel, references suggest "over long distances." If you try to define "long distances," literature vaguely suggests a few hundred or even thousands of miles, depending on temperature, winds and other climate conditions. So, it is hard to tell just now far the Gulf oil spill gases will travel from the spill site. Reports indicate gaseous smells are at the oil spill, where oil has landed on the shore, and further in land.
When crude oil meets the air, it emits toxic chemical gases including Benzene, Xylene, Toluene, and Hydrogen Sulfide. These VOCs are known to sicken humans. In the case of the Gulf oil spill, reports are linking the VOCs to crew worker headaches, nausea, tearing of the eyes and other toxic poison symptoms.
Gulf Coast air measurements and interpretations put VOC contamination level in excess of 100 times acceptable limits. Some scientists that have evaluated the information conclude benzene levels also exceed safe health limits. There is more concern for human health with benzene than other gas contaminates because this particular gas is a very well know carcinogenic. This is a gas that can be inhaled, pass through the air ways into your lungs, quickly enter your blood stream and body organs and never be touched by the defenses of the human body.
Authorities have not established a time line on when the crude oil well will be capped. As a result, there are no predictions on when acceptable health levels of benzene will return to normal.
What is Benzene?
Benzene is a clear, colorless-to-light yellow gas or liquid that can be a sweet aromatic odor. In fact, if you can smell it, that often is a sufficient warning that gas concentrations exceed 1.5 - 5 parts per million (ppm). Its source largely is crude petroleum.
Health Effects
Benzene can mildly irritate you skin, eyes and respiratory track, causing coughing, nausea, and headaches. Some experience dizziness, blurred vision and confusion. At more concentrated and prolonged periods of exposure, the central nervous system can become depressed, irregular heartbeats may start, the immune system can weaken and cancers can occur.
Benzene will be metabolized by the liver and byproducts excreted by the kidney. Benzene can adversely influence heart muscles at concentrations levels of 1000 ppm. Even at low dose exposures, amnesia can occur. If pregnant, benzene has been shown to cross the placenta. Repeated exposure over long periods of time can cause blood disorders and blood-forming cells (i.e., leukemia).
There is not antidote for benzene.
Take Action
It is very hard to predict how long the crude oil will continue to escape from the oil drilling disaster in the Gulf. The crude oil is landing on shore and is producing odors. These odors are VOCs that contain benzene gas chemicals emitted when the crude oil makes contact with air. These airborne toxins can travel a few, may be hundreds or possibly thousands of miles. We have no conclusive facts. What we know is that the VOC Benzene can get you sick. With prolonged exposures at unacceptably high levels of concentration you can get really sick.
Take action to ensure you are safe within your home from airborne VOCs. If you have a beach house close to the spill or for that matter, live farther away, take appropriate precautions. The air you breathe may not just give you a headache, nausea or dizziness but can seriously sicken you for a very long time.
Get a HealthMate Plus or equivalent system. These systems should have a large quantity of activated carbon and a High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) filter capable of removing benzene and the many other VOCs found in the air.
