Warnings
 

We have been told that Benzene can be a cause of MDS (and more) but the other day while doing some research in Internete, I found that there are others things to be aware of. While at my Doctors yesterday I asked her opinion and she verified these items are also possible causes of of MDS and secondary leukemia. Those items being insecticides, weed killers, and fungicides. Who of us aren't willing to try anything to our make our grass greener, our flowers brighter and of couse those ugly ants in our kitchen gone.

Vernette, MDS 3 yrs.

what is Benzene found in?

It used to be an additive in gasoline, before the dangers were so well established. Now it's mostly found in oil refineries and other gasoline-related industries, as well as some chemical plants. Petrochemical workers probably have a higher risk of exposure than the average citizen.

Here's link on benzene. I still don't let John get gas for his car. It's a good thing he works 5 minutes from home and his car gets 40+ mpg. I know he worked with benzene solvents in his teens and twenties but not at a range that would cause acute, toxic poisoning. We both grew up with parents who smoked. We knew that as far back in the 80's, he was borderline anemic but never thought anything of it. He also seemed to bleed more than most.

http://www.eco-usa.net/toxics/chemicals/benzene.shtml

Most gasoline still has benzene, but apparently in different quantities http://www.tambang.org/ifqc-ranks-to...anks-67th.html

Years past I worked in environmental assessments of especially gas stations; benzene was usually the limiting chemical as its allowed ppm or concentration is one of the lowest and it is the most prevalent. We used a handheld device to measure the fumes in the air (approximately of course), whether from soil vapors or air. Sometimes gasoline could be seen on groundwater, if leak was bad (remember a layer of a few feet or nearly half a meter - we joked to siphon it directly to car, but did not know the octane..).

Benzene is not the only constituent of gasoline, nor chemical compound that is bad for us. Ethylbenzene, toluene and other things are also bad, or not healthy.

It seems organic solvents are not very good either, they can cause various nerve damage as well. I was looking into trichloroethylene; it is used as a degreaser in many industries and as a dry cleaning agent (perhaps it is a good idea to air out the clothes from dry cleaners). One of my doctors noted that it can also be a degreaser of human tissues... fatty tissues, nerves and bone marrow.

Usually the concentrations are for acute exposure and sustained exposure, but low level, or person who is less than 70kg (standard weight in exposure levels) and/or sensitive, are not known well. Did find a paper of low chronic exposure (meaning the exposure was fine according to regularoty agencies) causing mild nerve ilnesses, with real symptoms but with sub-clinical signs.
You can find MSDS (material safety data sheet) on most compounds in the net, which states the basic danger, levels allowed for how long, and how it can enter human body (breathing, through skin, eating), and what type of things it can cause (eg skin irritation, dermatitis,..).

Marlene, when I was working there, one boss asked us to not fill gas on the way to take soil samples for gasoline exposure, or wash hands well afterwards. Even when wearing gloves during the sampling, there might be contamination from the hands; we were measuring concentrations in ppm or ppb (parts per billion). But, not all these people working in gas stations get ill-?

BDANDFAM3, so glad you do not have leukemia!! Good luck!

Hidden Benzene
 

Since we don't get HBO I couldn't watch the documentary Gasland. The process for getting natural gas out the the ground releases other chemical into the air and ground water. In the second article, they touch on the a man's tap water being contaminated with benzene from the drilling. Colorado, PA, Ohio,West Va and NY appear to have a lot natural gas drilling going on these days. So when we wonder what caused our bone marrow disease, benzene may play a bigger role than we think.

Way back in the 80's, John and I were filling up his car at a gas station. A young man next to him stupidly squeezed the pump handle while holding the nozzle up in the air showering John with gasoline. No one would ever say that his AA was tied to benzene since this incident happened 20 years before his SAA. But looking back, John's red cell were borderline anemic and his platelets were alway at the bottom of normal from about 1987 through 2001. Did this exposure weaken his bone marrow. They say many cancers are a result of something you were exposed to 20 -30 years ago, so why not SAA.

http://motherjones.com/media/2010/06...u-jour-gasland

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-..._b_663850.html

I also read an article recently showing that benzine levels are very high in closed cars. It went on to say that closed cars on a hot day when temperatures reach 130-140 degrees produces very high levels of benzine from the heating of materials in seats, carpeting and fabrics inside the car especially new cars. Anyone, like a salesman, cabbie or delivery man would be exposed to high levels on an ongoing daily basis.
They recommended to NOT turn on your A/C immediately after getting in your car, but to roll down the windows and let the car "air out" a few minutes before you close it up and turn on the A/C especially if you have the A/C set on recycling inside air (read-set on MAX).
I practically lived in new cars and small pick-ups for 30+ years doing my jobs. I could have inadvertently done this to myself. Scary thought, but who knows.:(

There is a lot of this drilling going on in the Barnett Shale area of Texas, near Fort Worth.

I remember hearing about the polluted air in closed up cars. I usually forget to air out the car especially when it's been sitting in the sun in 100 degree temps. Thanks for the reminder.

I guess Texas would have a lot of natural gas since they were big oil country for a long time.

Benzene
 

My husband passed away in 2000 with MDS. He was Military for over 20 years, and in between Pearl Harbor, Korea, Japan and Germany - and during these wars, he was in Aux. maintenance and used products with benzene for cleaning truck and tank parts. After retiring, he continued using gas for cleaning his truck, car and RV parts. This is what we have contributed to. I was dx with
MDS in 2006. Did I catch it from him? I know I did. Please be careful with your loved ones. I survive with Procrit and B-12.

Go to a Family/Patient Conference. They are very informative.

Sorry to hear about your loss and the fact you too have this dreaded disease, but you can't "catch" MDS from someone else unless you were using the same products as your husband. It's and "inside job", excuse the pun.

MDS Caught?
 

In my understanding Vernette wanted to express that she thinks that she got the MDS in using the same truck, car and RV parts, which used to be cleaned by her husband by the benzole/gas he already had used in the Army and which had caused his MDS earlier.

Kind regards,

Margarete

I highly doubt it. As explained, benzene is a very minor part of gasoline and unless she also washed her hands in it for extended period of time like her husband, I don't think that could be the cause. Handling parts of a truck, car or RV that had dried gasoline on it would not cause MDS.

For me, as explained earlier, besides practically living in a car or truck for years of work later on, before that I was exposed to trichlorethylene and perchlorethylene used in degreasers of electronic circuit boards for several years. I'm fairly certain that is how I may have gotten MDS.

Chemotherapy Related MDS
 

In 1996, I was dx with CLL. Recently, the V.A. determined from my health and service records that the CLL was caused by my exposure to pollutants in the ground near the building I worked in while in the service. I was breathing the fumes and since the entire area was on well water, basically drinking the junk that caused my CLL. Things like MEK, Tri-Chlor, Benzene etc. I also used some of these in my job, cleaning electronic equipment prior to repairing it.

In 2003, I underwent a 6 month course of Chemo therapy that caused MDS.
In March, I had a PBSCT (Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant) with my sister as the donor. So far, so good, no trace of any blood borne cancers.

So, from my perspective, ALL my problems are related to the original issue of carbon based pollutants, 35 years ago!

Mike was a jet engine mechanic in the service. He said they were exposed to jet engine fuel and also the solvents used for hand cleaning. Also, while overseas, he said they sprayed a huge area of land to kill the foilage so that a base could be set up. He spent a large portion of work years, both before and after the service, in the ready mix industry. He was around fuel and cleaning solvents on a daily basis. Is this why he got MDS? Only the good Lord really know. We have found that the doctors we have been to, (many) aren't really interested in the why or how of this disease.

BTW I have also ready that moth balls contain benzene.

Jet fuel, solvents, and defoliant are all good suspects for the cause of Mike's MDS. They can't do controlled experiments to prove this, but statistics can reveal when exposures have correlated with later MDS diagnoses. The doctors don't spend time talking about the cause because it doesn't affect their job: treating Mike now.

It may matter to you, however, for three reasons:

First, even if the cause doesn't affect the treatment there's are "why me?" questions and peace of mind issues with having a disease of unknown cause. It's natural to want to know why he got sick.

Second, when environmental factors lead to illness you want to know who else shared those exposures. If it was on the job, then coworkers ought to know they had the same risky exposure. If it was exposure to toxins at home, then family members might have had the same exposure.

Third, insurance and financial responsibility may depend on whether a connection can be made between likely causes and resulting diseases. That's why many veterans are fighting for coverage of their health issues based on exposures during their service.