Benzene levels measured in ambient air have ranged from less than 0.001 ppm in pristine rural areas to more than 0.1 ppm in urban areas. and as a lubricant. In September 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency promulgated National Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) to limit benzene emissions from several source categories. “Wood combustion was clearly the most important source for many compounds (e.g., benzene).” For example, this study of a typical residential area in Finland showed that wood combustion contributes as much as 70% to local benzene sources. These source categories included benzene transfer (Subpart BB) and benzene waste operations (Subpart FF). Benzene NESHAP FAQ Handbook. Benzene is present in both exhaust and evaporative emissions. Please Note: The main sources of information for this fact sheet are the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR's) Toxicological Profile for Benzene (1) and EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) (4), which contains information on the health effects of benzene including the unit cancer risk for inhalation exposure. These sources turn out to be quite different from what had previously been considered the important sources. Benzene is formed from natural processes, such as volcanoes and forest fires, but most exposure to benzene results from human activities. It evaporates quickly when exposed to air. The second worst for benzene pollution at the end of the third quarter of 2019 was the HollyFrontier Navajo Artesia refinery in Artesia, New Mexico, where monitors at the plant’s fenceline detected benzene at amounts four times the EPA standard. Motor vehicles account for approximately 85% of the total benzene emissions. The primary source of benzene in the environment is industry. Benzene emission. The most important source of exposure for 50 million smokers is the mainstream smoke from their cigarettes, which accounts for about half of the total population burden of exposure to benzene. Benzene is used in Canada in a variety of ways that result in it entering the Canadian environment. Petroleum spills and leaks from underground storage tanks. Contamination of local water supplies, soil and the air and the knock-on effect this pollution would have on the flora and fauna in the area could be higher than previously imagined. Benzene is among the 20 … One of the most widespread sources of benzene in indoor air is cigarette smoke and it was found that the median level of benzene in the homes of smokers was higher than in the homes of non-smokers. The largest source of benzene to households in the above-mentioned populations is natural gas development and petroleum refining. Vehicle emissions are the major source of benzene release to the environment. The major sources of benzene exposure are tobacco smoke, automobile service stations, exhaust from motor vehicles, and industrial emissions. However, there are other sources which introduce benzene into the home. Residential wood burning contributes a surprisingly large amount of benzene to the environment. A number of human activities cause benzene to get into our water, air, and soil. Releases of benzene result in measurable concentrations in the various media to which humans and other organisms may be exposed. It is a component of both indoor and outdoor air pollution. Recently, a triumvirate of concern bodies pushed for more transparency in the benzene industry. Benzene is a colorless, flammable liquid with a sweet odor. Benzene is used in the manufacturing of plastics, resins, synthetic fibers, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs, pesticides, etc. Factory discharges. A Cause for Concern. 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