cannot ignore its disadvantageously significant health effect upon humans to any degree. In short,
benzene causes cancer!
More on benzene:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzene#Health_effects
In 1903, Ludwig Roselius popularized the use of benzene to decaffeinate coffee. This discovery led to the
production of Sanka (the letters "ka" in the brand name stand for kaffein). This process was later discontinued.
Benzene was historically found as a significant component in many consumer products such as Liquid Wrench,
Testors model cement, several paint strippers, rubber cements, spot removers and other hydrocarbon-
containing products. Some, like Testors, ceased manufacture of its benzene formula about 1950 while others
continued to use benzene as a component or significant contaminant until the late 1970s when leukemia
deaths were found associated with Goodyear's Pliofilm production operations in Ohio. Until the late 1970s,
many hardware stores, paint stores, and other retail outlets sold benzene in small cans, such as quart size,
for general-purpose use. Many students were exposed to benzene in school and university courses while
performing laboratory experiments with little or no ventilation in many cases. This very dangerous practice
has been almost totally eliminated.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp3-c6.pdf
"Another source of exposure to benzene for the general population is the use of domestic wood stoves.
It has been estimated that approximately 10% of the space heating in urban areas of the northern United
States is from wood burning, with up to 50% in smaller, rural towns (Larson and Koenig 1994). Benzene
has been found to be a major component of the emissions from wood burning, especially from efficient
flame combustion, and constituted roughly 10–20% by weight of total non-methane hydrocarbons
(Barrefors and Petersson 1995)..."
Benzene (EPA web page)
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/benzene.html
Cancer Risk:
Increased incidence of leukemia (cancer of the tissues that form white blood cells) has been observed in
humans occupationally exposed to benzene. (1,4)
EPA has classified benzene as a Group A, known human carcinogen.
