benzene

checkcheek

Hey, any help or ideas on this
"Benzene is not strictly cancer causing"

Ive always been led to believe it is and everywhere seems to suggest but some exam questions are asking otherwise!

Delphi91

checkcheek wrote: »

Hey, any help or ideas on this
"Benzene is not strictly cancer causing"

Ive always been led to believe it is and everywhere seems to suggest but some exam questions are asking otherwise!

Give an example of the questions.....

Have a look here: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/intheworkplace/benzene

checkcheek

Benzene "may cause cancer", explain how this is not strictly true

Thats the actually question

kc90

checkcheek wrote: »

Hey, any help or ideas on this
"Benzene is not strictly cancer causing"

I've always been led to believe it is and everywhere seems to suggest but some exam questions are asking otherwise!

Very vague question. Maybe, it's referring to benzene as part of a stucture? Or, for you to distinguish between benzene causing cancer, in the sense that if you're exposed you're going to get cancer (or even that Benzene is the only carcinogen), which is not true, and benzene increasing the risk of cancer. It could also be looking for you to explain that cancer is caused by uncontrolled cell growth.
Might be a silly question, but what subject is this for?

checkcheek

kc90 wrote: »

Very vague question. Maybe, it's referring to benzene as part of a stucture? Or, for you to distinguish between benzene causing cancer, in the sense that if you're exposed you're going to get cancer (or even that Benzene is the only carcinogen), which is not true, and benzene increasing the risk of cancer. It could also be looking for you to explain that cancer is caused by uncontrolled cell growth.
Might be a silly question, but what subject is this for?

Aromatic chemistry!

Furez

Silly response for a kind of silly question.
A: If doused in benzene before contact with a flame, benzene will not cause cancer.

Or maybe its a safety angle:
A: Proper PPE. Splash goggles. Lab coat. Vapor respirator. Be sure to use an approved/certified respirator or equivalent. Gloves.

MSDS

papu

checkcheek wrote: »

Benzene "may cause cancer", explain how this is not strictly true

Thats the actually question

There must be a typo or mistake , that's such an odd and confusing question

Gru

WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE CHARACTERIZATION: Benzene is classified as a "known" human carcinogen (Category A) under the Risk Assessment Guidelines of 1986. Under the proposed revised Carcinogen Risk Asessment Guidelines (USEPA, 1996), benzene is characterized as a known human carcinogen for all routes of exposure based upon convincing human evidence as well as supporting evidence from animal studies. Epidemiologic studies and case studies provide clear evidence of a causal association between exposure to benzene and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia and also suggest evidence for chronic nonlymphocytic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Other neoplastic conditions that are associated with an increased risk in humans are hematologic neoplasms, blood disorders such as preleukemia and aplastic anemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and myelodysplastic syndrome. These human data are supported by animal studies. The experimental animal data add to the argument that exposure to benzene increases the risk of cancer in multiple species at multiple organ sites (hematopoietic, oral and nasal, liver, forestomach, preputial gland, lung, ovary, and mammary gland). It is likely that these responses are due to interactions of the metabolites of benzene with DNA ... Recent evidence supports the viewpoint that there are likely multiple mechanistic pathways leading ... to leukemogenesis from exposure to benzene. HUMAN CARCINOGENICITY DATA: Benzene is a known human carcinogen based upon evidence presented in numerous occupational epidemiological studies. Significantly increased risks of leukemia, chiefly acute myelogenous leukemia, have been reported in benzene-exposed workers in the chemical industry, shoemaking and oil refineries. ANIMAL CARCINOGENICITY DATA:... many experimental animal studies, both inhalation and oral, also support the evidence that exposure to benzene increases the risk of cancer in multiple organ systems, including the hematopoietic system, oral and nasal cavities, liver, forestomach, preputial gland, lung, ovary, and mammary gland ....
[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Summary on Benzene (71-43-2). Available from, as of March 15, 2000: http://www.epa.gov/iris/ **QC REVIEWED**

Toxnet source

Is the answer to your question something along the lines of perhaps it's the metabolites/interactions involved in benzene exposure as opposed to benzene directly causing damage?

Is it also possible that some text book at some stage had a sentence saying that "benzene was not strictly cancer causing because of..."?

Pyridine

Current harmonised classification for benzene within the EEA:

http://echa.europa.eu/information-on-chemicals/cl-inventory-database/-/cl-inventory/view-notification-summary/127390

It is classified as Carc. 1A.