Railroad workers can develop cancer from benzene exposure over the years.

Benzene is a colorless, organic chemical compound that causes the smell at gas stations. A natural constituent of crude oil, benzene is a natural byproduct of diesel fuel, gasoline, cigarette smoke, volcanoes and forest fires. Extremely flammable, benzene evaporates quickly.

Even though the United States banned benzene 20 years ago, railroad workers can be exposed to benzene through either diesel exhaust or wood tie treatments. Workers are at higher risk for cancer from benzene exposure.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies benzene as a known human carcinogen with links to cancers of the lung, bladder, colon, esophagus, throat, kidneys, rectum and stomach.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the World Health Organization (WHO) says benzene is a known carcinogen, linked to acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Before Cancer from Benzene Exposure, Other Effects Occur

Railroad workers who breathe in high amounts of benzene can experience drowsiness, headaches, dizziness, tremors and confusion. Exposure even can lead to the worker losing consciousness.

Skin reactions include redness and blistering when liquid or vapor irritate the throat, eyes and skin.

Over time, exposure to benzene can affect the bone marrow, which produces new blood cells. Signs that blood marrow is affected include several blood irregularities, such as anemia. With anemia, the red blood cell count has reached harmfully low levels, causing weakness and tiredness. A low white blood cell count means the body will not have the ability to fight infections as it should. A low blood platelet count translates into easy bleeding and bruising.

Women who have breathed in high doses of benzene for several months have been found to have irregular periods and shrunken ovaries, indicating benzene can adversely affect the reproductive system.

Railroad workers who developed cancer from benzene exposure could have a claim against their employer. Railroad companies that neglected to ensure a safe working environment for workers could be found in violation of the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA).

Diesel locomotives are responsible for a tremendous amount of diesel emissions in the air. In addition to an increased risk of cancer from benzene, railroad workers might have an increased risk of impairment to both the central nervous system and the immune system.  Studies indicate that years of exposure to diesel fumes can interrupt the chemical reactions that enable us to produce antibodies that fight disease.

Diesel emits exhaust that contains hundreds of toxins in addition to benzene. Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, benzene and other cancer-causing particulates are carried through the air and seen as dark smoke.

When these particulates full of carcinogens become embedded in the deep lung tissue, a railroad worker is apt to be diagnosed with “diesel asthma,” a recognized type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Studies have shown links between cancer from benzene exposure and other toxins for more than 30 years, but railroad workers continue to be exposed to these carcinogens on a daily basis.