Even though benzene, a harmful chemical found around rail yards, was banned 20 years ago, many rail workers still suffer from the ill effects of benzene exposure during railroad work.

Benzene is a chemical that is colorless or light yellow when it is at room temperature. When it is exposed to the air, it evaporates into the air quickly.

Sometimes benzene occurs naturally in the environment such as inside volcanoes and during forest fires. But it also is found in crude oil, gasoline and in cigarette smoke.

Benzene is used to make other chemicals that make up plastics, resins and nylon and synthetic fibers. It is also found in some lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs and pesticides.

Benzene exposure during railroad work occurs when benzene is created during the burning of diesel fuel. Unfortunately, there are still some railroad products that contain this chemical.

The Effects of Benzene Exposure During Railroad Work

Long-term benzene exposure during railroad work has been known to cause many problems for rail yard workers.

Some immediate signs and symptoms of benzene exposure are drowsiness, dizziness, rapid or irregular heartbeat, headaches, tremors, confusion, unconsciousness and possibly death.

Another effect of long-term benzene exposure during railroad work is on the blood. Benzene can have a harmful effect on bone marrow and can cause a decrease in blood cells. This can lead to anemia, a condition in which a person’s blood cannot carry enough oxygen for the body.

Benzene exposure during railroad work can also cause excessive bleeding as well as affect the immune system.

Another benzene effect, on women in particular, is the decrease in size of ovaries and irregular menstrual cycles. There are still questions unanswered as to the effects of benzene exposure during railroad work on developing fetuses or male fertility.

What might be most alarming regarding benzene exposure during railroad work is the fact that benzene has been labeled a carcinogen by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

The DHHS has determined that benzene causes cancer in humans, most often leukemia, cancer of the blood.

Benzene exposure has also been linked to other types of cancers including

• Bladder Cancer
• Colon Cancer
• Esophageal Cancer
• Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Kidney Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Mesothelioma
• Multiple Myeloma
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Laryngeal Cancer
• Rectal Cancer
• Stomach Cancer
• Throat Cancer
• Leukemia
• Other Cancer

A railroad worker who has been diagnosed with cancer may believe the cancer was because of his or her family history or even without explanation. It may, in actuality, be because of benzene exposure during railroad work.