It has come to our knowledge that your company has been using the chemical benzene. We know that benzene is really being used in the manufacturing process. Though it may not be so harmful with limited exposure and small doses, long term exposure can cause a lot of dangerous side effects, illnesses, and diseases. It easily evaporates into the air, dissolves in water and considered as highly flammable (Michon 2016). We would like to inform you the harmful effects of benzene if people are exposed to it for a long time. When we say long term, that means more than a year of exposure.
The main effect of benzene is on the blood. It has harmful effects to the bone marrow which can further result to decreasing of red blood cells. This could lead to anemia. This can also cause excessive bleeding which would have an impact on the immune system and increase the possibility for an infection. Women who are exposed to high levels of benzene experience irregular menstrual periods. A decrease in the ovaries’ sizes was also noticed. According to the Department of Health and Human Services or DHSS, benzene is found out to cause cancer in humans (American Cancer Society 2016). If individuals are exposed to benzene for a long time, it can cause leukemia.
We are requesting your company to be socially responsible and to stop the use of benzene. Many companies have stopped using it already. As a matter of fact, benzene as a solvent was already phased out in the West. There are other chemicals that are not harmful to humans which you may use as alternatives. These chemicals are cyclohexane and heptanes. There are many other non polar solvents which can serve as alternatives. We are hoping to you would consider our request and we would be waiting for your response regarding this matter. Thank you.
Reference:
American Cancer Society. (2016). Benzene and Cancer Risk. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/benzene.html
Michon, Kathleen. (2016). Benzene Dangers and Lawsuits. Retrieved from https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/benzene-exposure-health-risks-32205.html
