Appendix D - Dossier (PDF) - Tera

date: 20–JUL–2005
5. Toxicity Substance ID: 71–43–2
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Appendix D: Benzene SIDS Dossier
The evidence that benzene might induce other haematopoietic
and lymphatic malignancies is however very much weaker.
Lymphopoietic malignancies have also been associated with
benzene exposure but often under circumstances in which
confounding factors have been involved or in which the
evidence has been very much weaker than for ANLL.
Associations have been reported between benzene exposure
and
both Hodgkins and non–Hodgkins lymphomas (Young, 1989;
Vianna & Polan, 1979). However, a lack of an association
between lymphoma and benzene work has also been shown
(Smith
& Lickiss, 1980). The cohort studies examining benzene
exposure have not identified notably increased incidences
of
lymphoma.
Cases of benzene exposed workers developing multiple
myeloma
(Goldstein, 1990; Aksoy, 1980) have been reported but the
reported excesses of multiple myeloma reported in the
cohort
studies of Rinsky (Rinsky et al. 1987) have not been
confirmed in other cohort studies.
Investigation of workers heavily exposed (150–650 ppm, 4
months–15 years) to benzene when it was used as a solvent
in
the manufacture of shoes and other leather goods gave
evidence that bone marrow supression due to benzene was
sometimes followed by the development of leukaemia (Aksoy
et
al. 1972; Vigliani & Forni 1976; Aksoy 1978). Although
acute non–lymphocytic leukaemia (ANLL) has been the
predominant form reported there have been reports of acute
lymphocytic leukaemia and chronic myeloid leukaemias
(Aksoy,
1978, Aksoy et al. 1976).
Much of the basic evidence for the link between high
benzene
exposures and ANLL came from the large worker population in
the Turkish leather working industry. Of an estimated
28,500 workers reported in the shoe, slipper and handbag
industry in Istanbul, in which benzene was used as a
solvent, 26 were admitted to hospital between 1967 and 1973
with acute leukaemia or preleukaemia. The working
conditions in the industry were poor with small, unhygienic
and badly ventilated workshops and the concentrations of
benzene were reported to reach a maximum of 210–650 ppm
when
benzene containing glues were being used. Acute
myeloblastic leukaemia was seen in 14 of these 26 patients
who had been exposed for 1–15 years (mean of 9.7 yearr).
The annual incidence of acute or preleukaemia was at least
13/100,000 which was statistically significantly greater
(P>0.02) than the overall incidence of leukaemia in the
– 678/957 –