"We feel safe at this time. Note that 2-chlorophenol = o-chlorophenol. On the heels of the report, Johnson & Johnson is recalling five of its sunscreens. She drove herself to an emergency room, not knowing yet that her son had gone to the hospital a day earlier for the same symptoms. We are going through that process with each of these citizen petitions. "You don't know what you are inhaling or putting in your body," Anthony Guevara said. Benzene belongs to a class of chemicals called volatile organic compounds, so called because they evaporate in the air. Medical authorities such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Dermatology, and major physicians associations endorse similar recommendations. The disaster also exposed confusion over who should be responsible for telling residents to shelter in place during a chemical release. 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. "I'm not sure whether we really got there," he said. ITC said in a statement that morning that air monitoring readings were "well below hazardous levels." Benzene. He felt helpless. Concurrently, the agency will review any Field Alert Reports from drug manufacturers that identify the presence of benzene, in addition to other available information. The formation of benzene from benzoate can lead to an increase in benzene content over a drugs shelf-life and should be considered when determining the appropriate timing for benzene testing, e.g., testing at release and on stability (21 CFR 211.165, 211.166), and establishment of an appropriate expiration date (21 CFR 211.137). One way manufacturers can meet the requirements of 211.84, 211.160 and 211.165 is by using tools such as risk assessments to determine they have the appropriate specifications, test methods, and controls to ensure drugs are free from contamination. In Deer Park, benzene concentrations usually top out around 5 parts per billion in March, according to an analysis of TCEQ data by Ebrahim Eslami, an air quality research scientist at Houston Advanced Research Center. 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. Robert Hemminger, Deer Park's emergency services director at the time, told the public that benzene emissions had "significantly reduced" since that morning. A: Benzene is a chemical used in the production of a wide range of industrial products, including chemicals, dyes, detergents, and some plastics. ", Benzene pollution lingers as life returns to normal - March 25-29, 2019. Four years after Ochoa, his 62-year-old mother, his son and countless others were sickened by the ITC fire, federal regulators are still investigating. On July 15, Johnson & Johnson voluntarily recalled and is advising consumers to stop using five of its Neutrogena and Aveeno aerosol spray sunscreens after benzene was detected in samples. The US banned benzenes use as an ingredient nearly 45 years ago, and it is somewhat unique in that its pretty well established to be incredibly toxic thats been known for decades to over a century, said David Andrews, senior scientist at the public health advocate Environmental Working Group. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is the federal agency responsible for health and safety regulations in most workplaces. The staff checked him out and took his temperature, then told him to take ibuprofen or Tylenol for the headaches and over-the-counter nausea medication. Toxic burn pits put the health of US veterans at risk. 2012. The map shows benzene levels along the van's route. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walks, ACS Center for Diversity in Research Training, Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), and Related Chemicals. IARC classifies benzene as carcinogenic to humans, based on sufficient evidence that it causes acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The air monitoring "seems like a waste" if the public wasn't immediately told about the danger, said Craft, one of the authors of the study that concluded that more shelter-in-place advisories and air quality warnings should have been issued during the ITC disaster. Their study, commissioned by the Houston Health Department, is awaiting peer review. If you have been injured, it's in your best interests to seek immediate medical treatment. The .gov means its official.Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Valisure most frequently found benzene in body sprays, which includes deodorants and anti-perspirants: nearly half of the 108 products from 30 different brands contained it. At one area hospital, a pair of medics who were helping respond to the fire were evaluated for benzene exposure that day, records show. Although FDA testing is rigorous and standards are high, it's not a foolproof system, she adds. Several national and international agencies study substances in the environment to determine if they can cause cancer. At room temperature, benzene is a colorless, or pale yellow, liquid with a . Ash rained down on nearby neighborhoods. Occupational exposure to benzene. Consistent with the recommendations of the ICH Q3 guidance, manufacturers should not use benzene in the manufacture of drugs. But this doesn't mean you should stop wearing sunscreen altogether. A 1997 explosion at Shell Oil Co. injured several workers and sent residents scurrying to shelter in their homes. Browse Benzene and related products at MilliporeSigma. Exposures to benzene are addressed in specific OSHA standards for general industry, maritime, and construction. Medical professionals useseveral teststo determine whether you've been overexposed to benzene, each of which measures benzene levels in your blood, breath, or urine. The capability of superhalogen induced ionization of benzene molecules has been reported based on ab initio calculations. At the American Cancer Society, we have a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. Hand sanitizers. It's notoriously challenging to determine whether cancer was caused by exposure to a specific chemical or pollutant. Kids played kickball outside on the high school football field. They could smell the chemicals in the air. That was below the 1,000 parts per billion threshold set by Unified Command, but it was 12 times above the highest concentration of benzene typically found in the area. There are short-term and long-term exposure limits for benzene in the workplace, maximum acceptable benzene concentrations in drinking water, and exposure limits for benzene that include recommendations for specialized breathing equipment around higher levels of the compound. "It seemed like [the EPA] was going out and doing this monitoring between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and it wasn't clear what their intention or purpose was," Craft said. (, It's also important to know that everyone is exposed to benzene frequently because it's found in the air from gas stations, vehicle exhaust, tobacco smoking, and certain manufacturing plants. US Environmental Protection Agency. Those who have purchased the products can request a refund by filling out a form online. The fire began after a tank's pump failed and began to leak naphtha, a highly flammable liquid. That Monday afternoon, the same day as the press conference, the bus recorded three benzene spikes well above 1,000 parts per billion across the street from the ITC facility between 4 and 4:30 p.m. On Tuesday, EPA and TCEQ officials held another press conference and said that they had "no notifications of air monitoring results" above 1,000 parts per billion. Contreras, now 62, said the doctor who saw her said her symptoms were caused by "high exposure to chemicals." Benzene is commonly found in air, but the levels in most places are usually very low. The analysis did not take into account the fact that hundreds of people actually sought medical care during the incident. A second shelter-in-place when benzene "rears its ugly head" - March 21-22, 2019. Benzene evaporates into the air very quickly. Benzene dissolves only slightly in water and will float on top of water. During this time, FDA has also been working with companies on multiple recalls related to the identification of unacceptable levels of benzene in drugs. By the next morning, the fire had spread to five additional tanks at the ITC facility, according to TCEQ and city of Deer Park records. This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style byFindLaws team of legal writers and attorneysand in accordance withour editorial standards. In a statement, EPA spokesperson Joe Robledo clarified that benzene readings below the 1,000 parts per billion action level did not prompt notifications to the public. In a December statement, the agency said it was investigating the situation, doing its own testing and urged companies to recall contaminated products. More about sun protection and sunscreens can be found on the FDA website. As fire crews fought the last remnants of the fire, life in Deer Park returned to normal. Meeting with a lawyer can help you understand your options and how to best protect your rights. Spray sunblock and sun aftercare lotions. Benzene has been shown to cause chromosome changes in bone marrow cells in the lab. Below are some of the resources we provide. A massive 2005 explosion at a BP refinery in Texas City, about 35 miles to the south next to Galveston Bay, killed 15 workers and injured nearly 200 others. Federal regulations limit exposure to benzene in the workplace (see below). Light pointed to decades of research that has found no safe levels of benzene exposure because its so toxic at very low levels. ", At a March 26 press conference - nine days after the fire started - an EPA official said the agency would "get it out to the community to take action" if it detected benzene levels above that level. : 71-43-2 1.2 Relevant identified uses of the substance or mixture and uses advised against Identified uses : Laboratory chemicals, Synthesis of substances 1.3 Details of the supplier of the safety data sheet Company : Sigma-Aldrich Inc.
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