. Before noon Thursday - after a little under eight hours - the city of Deer Park lifted the shelter-in-place advisory. The email address cannot be subscribed. "My soul remembers. Several national and international agencies study substances in the environment to determine if they can cause cancer. Rates ofleukemia, particularlyacute myeloid leukemia (AML), have been found to be higher in studies of workers exposed to high levels of benzene, such as those in the chemical, shoemaking, and oil refining industries. This also allows FDA to evaluate the market and determine if additional steps are needed to avoid a supply disruption that may impact public health. Benzene is a component of products derived from coal and petroleum and is found in gasoline and other fuels. He said county officials didn't feel they were being told everything they needed to know. Durant, the EPA spokesperson, characterized such spikes as "instantaneous" measurements in industrial areas that would not have prompted notification to local officials. Meanwhile, residents, news reports and meteorologists anxiously tracked the black smoke plume that snaked over the Houston area. So you want to check Valisure'sor Johnson & Johnson's list of impacted products rather than scanning your sunscreen's ingredient list to see whether "benzene" is listed. He said they needed the money. The state health agency used that number when it analyzed the potential for health problems from the ITC fire, but TCEQ spokesperson Victoria Cann said the number "does not constitute a bright line" for health impacts and is "precautionary in nature." Stokes, the Deer Park city manager, declined to answer questions about the high levels of benzene recorded on March 31 by the EPA and TCEQ. She drove herself to an emergency room, not knowing yet that her son had gone to the hospital a day earlier for the same symptoms. Comparison of aneuploidies of chromosomes 21, X, and Y in the blood lymphocytes and sperm of workers exposed to benzene. In a statement, the FDA wrote it continues to monitor the issue and work with companies to recall contaminated products. For short-term exposure to high levels of benzene, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting away from the source of benzene, removing any clothing that may have benzene on it, washing exposed areas with soap and water, and getting medical care as soon as possible. The FDAs system really lacks independent review because it relies on companies to self report, Light said. Benzene is a six membered aromatic compound. Texas has guidelines that define what level of exposure to various chemicals could affect people's health; for benzene, it's 180 parts per billion in an hour. The findings suggest that benzene contamination is widespread and is probably in more products that have not yet been tested, said David Light, Valisures chief executive. "You want to be able to trust officials and ITC representatives telling people you will be OK," Guevara said. Those who have purchased the products can request a refund by filling out a form online. However, when a class one solvent (such as benzene) is "unavoidable in order to produce a drug product," it should be limited to concentrations of 2 parts per million (ppm). Some devices, including the EPA's air monitoring bus, were not deployed until days after the fire broke out. They said the fire was nothing to worry about because the wind was blowing the danger away, but employees could go home if they were personally concerned. In small amounts over long periods of time, benzene can decrease the formation of blood cells. No shelter-in-place advisory was issued for Channelview residents. Four years after Ochoa, his 62-year-old mother, his son and countless others were sickened by the ITC fire, federal regulators are still investigating. Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure of humans to benzene may cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, as well as eye, skin, and respiratory tract irritation, and, at high levels . Stay up-to-date with how the law affects your life. If you are exposed to benzene at your workplace, talk to your employer about limiting your exposure through process changes (such as replacing the benzene with another solvent or enclosing the benzene source) or by using personal protective equipment. That day - four days after the ITC fire began - the EPA finally deployed its air monitoring bus, the rolling lab that could sample the air while it drove. This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style byFindLaws team of legal writers and attorneysand in accordance withour editorial standards. Manufacturers of nonapplication products, including over-the-counter monograph drug products, should contact FDA using the information in the table below when testing reveals benzene in a product. The remaining chemicals in the collapsing tanks were venting into the open air. Cancer Information, Answers, and Hope. 2012. Benzene, a known cancer-causing chemical, was found in over half of 108 batches of antiperspirant and deodorant body sprays from 30 different brands, according to a citizen's petition filed this . The city of Deer Park and ITC contracted with a company called CTEH to conduct hand-held air monitoring. A: FDA is committed to ensuring drugs Americans use are safe and effective. "Daily exposure to benzene at the levels detected in these affected Coppertone aerosol sunscreen spray products would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences based on generally accepted exposure modeling by numerous regulatory agencies," said Coppertone in its news release. Final Rule. This can help lower your exposure to exhaust fumes, which contain benzene (as well as other potentially harmful chemicals). The level of exposure depends upon the dose, duration, and work being done. But when an incident occurs at a facility like ITC that's located in an unincorporated area of the county, deciding who has jurisdiction can be complicated. Contaminated well water, as a result of benzene leaks from underground storage tanks or hazardous waste sites containing benzene. Benzene is a carcinogenic substance that is present in a great number of modern products and industries. Benzene 71-43-2 Hazard Summary Benzene is found in the air from emissions from burning coal and oil, gasoline service stations, and motor vehicle exhaust. "Benzene really shouldn't be there at all," he said. In many cases, Valisure found one batch of a product would contain benzene while another of the same product would not. Throughout the response, a plane brought in by the EPA flew above the fire and the plume, monitoring the air and providing eyes from above, while TCEQ and Harris County employees on the ground recorded benzene levels on hand-held air monitors, in addition to CTEH's monitoring efforts for the city and company. They adapted it from the federal workplace standard, which allows worker exposure up to 1,000 parts per billion over an 8-hour work day. Valisures hand sanitizer analysis found the highest levels of benzene in small brands that popped up as demand for the product spiked. Drug manufacturers with a risk for benzene contamination should test their drugs accordingly and should not release any drug product batch that contains benzene above 2 ppm, consistent with the recommendations described in ICH Q3C. Q: What should manufacturers know about benzene in drugs? This contamination is a public health concern and has caused significant outcry among environmental and health advocates. The manufacturer should also be prepared to share with FDA the methods used and any available information on the potential source of the benzene to assist with FDAs analysis. Ash rained down on nearby neighborhoods. Shell Oil Company built the first refinery in the area in 1928, and since then, generations of Deer Park residents have crossed state Highway 225 to work in the petrochemical industry. Likewise, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets a limit of 5 ppb in bottled water. undefined. That Sunday morning, it drove through an invisible cloud of benzene - logging a reading above 1,000 parts per billion near San Jacinto Elementary School. All rights reserved. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site. It is used mainly to make other chemicals, including plastics, resins, lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides. This alert has resulted in, among other things, several recent recalls of drugs containing unacceptable levels of benzene. Benzene drifts into Deer Park, but residents aren't warned - March 31, 2019. Other people who may be exposed to benzene at work include steel workers, printers, lab technicians, gas station employees, and firefighters. Several school administrators who worked for the district in 2019 did not recall being informed about high levels of benzene near the elementary school on March 31, Matt Lucas, director of communications for Deer Park ISD, said in an email. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Rodney Reed, an assistant chief at Harris County Fire Marshal's Office, said that each city, as well as multiple county agencies, have the authority to issue shelter-in-place advisories. "These concentrations are higher than we would normally consider protective," Richard Nickle, an environmental health scientist at the CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, said in an April 2019 email to Harris County officials. The highest levels of exposure typically have been in the workplace, although high-level exposures have decreased greatly over the last several decades due to federal and state regulations. Benzene is less dense than water and will float on the surface of water. ITC's operational permit is up for renewal this year and some residents have raised safety concerns about the facility ahead of the permit renewal; a public hearing will be held in May. The fire had been out for days when Ochoa, a 39-year-old pipe fitter at an industrial construction company, sat awake late into the night worrying about his son, who complained that his head hurt. 2003. The companys statement was posted by the FDA on its website even though agency scientists found in a July analysis obtained by Consumer Reports that benzene-contaminated sunscreen did pose a life-threatening risk. (The bone marrow is where new blood cells are made.) FDA recommends consumers do not use products that are being recalled or those hand sanitizers FDA recommends consumers should not use. Experts say more shelter-in-place advisories should have been issued. The agency has also alerted drug manufacturers to the risk of benzene contamination in certain drugs. The van captured benzene levels spiking to more than 1,000 parts per billion by volume on several days during its monitoring. Drug Safety and Availability, Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts, Information about Nitrosamine Impurities in Medications, Food and Drug Administration Overdose Prevention Framework, Medication Errors Related to CDER-Regulated Drug Products, Postmarket Drug Safety Information for Patients and Providers, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies | REMS, Multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis and other infections, Frequently Asked Questions on Benzene Contamination in Drugs, FDA Recalls Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts, FDA updates on hand sanitizers consumers should not use, Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun, FDA alerts drug manufacturers to the risk of benzene contamination in certain drugs. However, the evidence is not as strong for these cancers. Help us end cancer as we know it,for everyone. Garcia, the Harris County commissioner, said it felt like "pulling teeth" to get information about air quality. But this doesn't mean you should stop wearing sunscreen altogether. As a result, there are strict controls on benzene emissions. "It just imploded on itself and went down in a matter of seconds. The disaster also exposed confusion over who should be responsible for telling residents to shelter in place during a chemical release. Rapid or irregular heartbeat. Beyond the fact that any amount of benzene in sunscreens is concerning, 14 sunscreen samples actually tested above that 2 ppm threshold, containing between 2.78 and 6.26 ppm of benzene. This process includes securing product samples and performing independent evaluation of collected samples to assess the data presented in the citizen petition. In the past it was also commonly used as an industrial solvent (a substance that can dissolve or extract other substances) and as a gasoline additive, but these uses have been greatly reduced in recent decades. Benzene is a known human carcinogen that causes leukemia and other blood disorders. Then, their city. ", High levels of benzene detected for two weeks after the ITC fire. Benzene is a component of products derived from coal and petroleum and is found in gasoline and other fuels. TCEQ's stationary air monitor indicates that benzene concentrations in Deer Park had reduced to more typical levels by the late afternoon. Harris County commissioners invested more than $11 million to implement the report's recommendations. This can result in: There is also some evidence that long-term exposure to benzene might harm reproductive organs. Below are some of the resources we provide. Meanwhile, an untold number of people were breathing benzene fumes without protection. Deer Park resident Eddie Guevara, 19, was working a Sunday shift at a chemical plant in La Porte, a town just east of Deer Park, the day the ITC fire broke out. But, "of course they are going to downplay it.". We make every effort to keep our articles updated. As FDA works to better understand the potential sources of benzene in drugs, FDA reminds manufacturers of drugs marketed under approved applications and manufacturers of other drugs, including over-the-counter monograph drug products, of their obligation to ensure their products conform to appropriate quality specifications. And the refineries and chemical plants are a boon to their economy: The city of more than 34,000 people has a median household income of about $81,500 - higher than nearby Houston, where the median household earns $55,500. The contaminated sunscreens include both chemical and mineral formulas. Benzene (C 6 H 6) is a highly flammable, colorless liquid that evaporates quickly into the air. While benzene levels continued to spike near the ITC facility, neighboring chemical plants were warned to shelter in place Friday afternoon - the nearby community was not. "Based on our experience, the [1,000 parts per billion] action level for 1 minute for benzene across community areas was highly conservative," Sanchez-Soria said. The naming process for 2-chlorophenol (o-chlorophenol). The lab, Valisure, last year detected benzene in hand sanitizers, sunscreens, deodorant, dry shampoos, conditioners, antiperspirants, deodorants, body sprays and anti-fungal treatments. Some of these mono-substituted compounds (labeled in red and green), such as phenol or toluene, can be used in place of benzene for the chemical's base name. 2021. The NTP has classified benzene as known to be a human carcinogen.. And now, Johnson & Johnson is voluntarily recalling five of its Neutrogena and Aveeno sunscreens some of which were mentioned in Valisure's report after their own internal testing found low levels of benzene in some samples of the products, according to a company press release. "That spike, to me, is really pretty high. Benzene was experimentally confirmed to be flat molecule by Dame Kathleen Londsale with X-ray crystallography. Browse Benzene and related products at MilliporeSigma. On May 25, the company released a report after testing 294 sunscreens and sun aftercare products and found 78 of them contained benzene, a known carcinogen that has been linked to harmful effects in humans such as cancer and other serious medical conditions. Hemminger, the former Deer Park official, said in an interview that the city only warned residents if emissions exceeded the "action level" within the city's boundaries and were expected to linger, based on weather forecasts and subsequent readings. Become a volunteer, make a tax-deductible donation, or participate in a fundraising event to help us save lives. The benzene continued wafting from the broken tanks: On Friday, March 29, the EPA's air monitoring bus again recorded benzene spikes above 1,000 parts per billion, this time across the ship channel in an industrial area near Channelview - about three miles northwest of the ITC facility. Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure of humans to benzene may cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, as well as eye, skin, and respiratory tract irritation, and, at high levels . Benzene Factsheet. It is absolutely critical that you do not delay. Contreras, now 62, said the doctor who saw her said her symptoms were caused by "high exposure to chemicals." Benzene has a sweet aromatic odor. Luoping Zhang, a researcher and adjunct professor of toxicology at the University of California, Berkeley, said after reviewing some of the EPA's data that she was shocked the samples were collected outdoors in the middle of the day because benzene typically breaks down quickly in the sunlight and open air. Sun safety is important for everyone and all skin colors, and consumers can reduce risks from sun exposure with continued use of sun protection measures, including sunscreen. CTEH is known as an industry-friendly environmental consulting firm and is frequently hired by companies during chemical emergencies. Levels of benzene can be higher in enclosed spaces with unventilated fumes from gasoline, glues, solvents, paints, and art supplies. First responders transitioned from firefighting to frantically spraying the ruptured tanks with enormous amounts of industrial firefighting foam, hoping to create a blanket to tamp down emissions.
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