Suleeporn Sangrajang2011-02-222011-02-222010-04-072010-04-07Thai Cancer Journal; Vol.28 No.2 April-June 2008; 93-100http://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/132337Benzene is an organic solvent that has been used in industry for about 100 years throughout the world. It widely used as an industrial solvent, as an intermediate in chemical syntheses, and as a component of gasoline; hence, the potential for human exposure is great. The main sources of environment exposure to benzene are road traffic exhaust and volatile organic compounds. Inhalation exposure is the major route of exposure to benzene, although oral and dermal routes are also important. Exposure to benzene can result in haematotoxicity, immunitoxicity and carcinogenicity in humans and animals. Acute benzene poisoning affects the central nervous system with symptoms such as dizziness, headache, nausea, fatigue, insomnia, and incoherent speech. Chronic benzene poisoning, a more common industrial form, is an exposure to a low level of benzene over an extended period of time. The critical human health effects from long term exposure to benzene are bone marrow depression and leukemia, specifically acute myeloid leukemia (AML.) Benzene classified as a human carcinogen. It is considered to be a genotoxic carcinogen for which no safe level of exposure can be recommended. The link between exposure to benzene and other cancer such as lymphoma, multiple myeloma, bladder, stomach and lung have also been suggested. In this review, we summarize the impact on human health of benzene exposure, particularly that related to cancer.en-USNational Cancer Institute of Thailand, Bangkok, ThailandReview Article