Health Effects of Benzene Exposure among Children Following a Flaring Incident at the British Petroleum Refinery in Texas City

Abstract

Human exposure to benzene is associated with multiple adverse health effects leading to hematological malignancies. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the health consequences of benzene exposure in children following a flaring incident at the British petroleum (BP) refinery in Texas City, Texas. The study included children aged <17 years who had been exposed and unexposed to benzene. Using medical charts, clinical data including white blood cell (WBC) counts, platelets counts, hemoglobin, hematocrit, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), and somatic symptom complaints by the children exposed to benzene were reviewed and analyzed. A total of 312 subjects (benzene exposed, n = 157 and unexposed, n = 155) were included. Hematologic analysis showed that WBC counts were significantly decreased in benzene-exposed children compared with the unexposed children (6.8 ± 2.1 versus 7.3 ± 1.7, P = .022). Conversely, platelet (X 10(3) per μL) counts were increased significantly in the benzene-exposed group compared with the unexposed group (278.4 ± 59.9 versus 261.6 ± 51.7, P = .005). Similarly, benzene-exposed children had significantly higher levels of ALP (183.7± 95.6 versus 165 ± 70.3 IU/L, P = .04), AST (23.6 ± 15.3 versus 20.5 ± 5.5 IU/L, P = .015), and ALT (19.2 ± 7.8 versus 16.9 ± 6.9 IU/L, P = .005) compared with the unexposed children. Together, the results of the study reveal that children exposed to benzene experienced significantly altered blood profiles, liver enzymes, and somatic symptoms indicating that children exposed to benzene are at a higher risk of developing hepatic or blood related disorders.

Characterization and Sources of Aromatic Hydrocarbons (BTEX) in the Atmosphere of Two Urban Sites Located in Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico

“…On the other hand, the toxicity of organic solvents and aromatic hydrocarbons (toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes) has been widely recognized in the literature [13]. Aromatic hydrocarbons affect lymphatic, hematopoietic, hepatic, renal and nervous systems [14,15]. In addition, they cause acute effects on skin and mucous membranes [10].…”

Air concentrations of volatile compounds near oil and gas production: a community-based exploratory study

“…Residents exposed to VOCs including benzene experience immediate health symptoms and illness. Within days after a flaring event at a Texas City refinery, children exhibited altered blood profiles, liver enzymes, and somatic symptoms [68]. Future research is needed to determine whether the concentrations of benzene we measured are due to continuous releases or flaring, fugitive emissions, or facility upsets.…”

Benzene exposure from the BP refinery flaring incident alters hematological and hepatic functions among smoking subjects

“…To assess the potential health consequences of this ambient benzene exposure that resulted from the BP flaring incident, a series of studies are being conducted examining the hematological and hepatic functions in affected subjects. The initial findings of these studies have revealed that benzene exposure has significantly altered the hematological and hepatic indices in the case of the exposed subjects as compared with the unexposed subjects [23][24][25][26][27]. In addition, those persons exposed to benzene had a range of illness symptoms and an altered profile of urinary phenol indicating their vulnerability to increased health complications [28].…”

“…The subjects' selection and the procedures used for the clinical and laboratory evaluations had been reported previously in detail [23][24][25][26][27][28]. Briefly, between June 2010 and October 2012 subjects underwent clinical as well as laboratory evaluations and their data is included in the study.…”

“…To comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), confidentiality of information was secured by utilizing text encryption, password protection and limited personnel involvement. subjects who were unexposed to benzene were drawn from primary care clinics located approximately 30-50 miles away from the BP refinery plant [23][24][25][26][27][28]. Specifically, unexposed subjects to benzene were selected randomly by the primary care physician following their visit to the clinic for a routine wellness checkup.…”