Benzene cigarette smoking

Cigarette smoking is responsible for about 80% of lung cancer cases. Other risk factors include exposure to respiratory carcinogens (e.g., asbestos, benzene), genetic risk factors, and history of other lung diseases (e.g., tuberculosis, pulmonary fibrosis). 

Of course, activities such as smoking result in enhanced levels not only of nicotine (e.g., Thompson et al., 1989) but also of a variety of other gases associated with cigarette smoke (e.g., California Environmental Protection Agency, 1997 Nelson et al., 1998). For example, using 3-ethenylpyridine as a marker for cigarette smoke, Heavner et al. (1992) estimated that 0.2-39% of the benzene and 2-49% of the styrene measured in the homes of smokers were from cigarette smoke. 

Byrd, G.D., Fowler, K.W, Hicks, R.D., Lovette, M.E. Borgerding, M.F. (1990) Isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the determination of benzene, toluene, styrene and acrylonitrile in mainstream cigarette smoke. J. Chromatog., 503, 359-368... 

Benzene found in the environment is from both human activities and natural processes. Benzene was first discovered and isolated from coal tar in the 1800s. Today, benzene is made mostly from petroleum sources. Because of its wide use, benzene ranks in the top 20 in production volume for chemicals produced in the United States. Various industries use benzene to make other chemicals, such as styrene (for Styrofoam and other plastics), cumene (for various resins), and cyclohexane (for nylon and synthetic fibers). Benzene is also used for the manufacturing of some types of rubbers, lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides. Natural sources of benzene, which include volcanoes and forest fires, also contribute to the presence of benzene in the environment. Benzene is also a part of crude oil and gasoline and cigarette smoke. For more information on the nature and uses of benzene, see Chapters 3 and 4. 

A susceptible population will exhibit a different or enhanced response to benzene than will most persons exposed to the same level of benzene in the environment. Reasons may include genetic makeup, age, health and nutritional status, and exposure to other toxic substances (e.g., cigarette smoke). These parameters may result in reduced detoxification or excretion of benzene, or compromised function of target organs affected by benzene. Populations who are at greater risk due to their unusually high exposure to benzene are discussed in Section 5.6, Populations With Potentially High Exposure. 

Methods exist for determining benzene in air (ambient, occupational, and industrial), water, sediment, soil, foods, cigarette smoke, gasoline, and jet fuel. Most involve separation by GC with detection by FID, PID, or MS. HPLC/UV and spectrophotometry have also been used. Table 6-3 summarizes several of the methods that have been used to analyze for benzene in environmental samples. 

Mainstream cigarette smoke Collection on filters and impingers [2H6]-benzene added to impinger HRGC/IDMS-SIM 0.05 pg/cigarette 75-85 (trapping efficiency) Byrd etal. 1990... 

Methods exist for detection of benzene in other environmental media such as cigarette smoke, gasoline, and jet fuel and its fumes (Brunnemann et al. 1989 Byrd et al. 1990 Ludwig and Eksteen 1988 Poole et al. 1988). HPLC/UV, GC/FID, and GC/MS separation and detection techniques have been used for these analyses. Sensitivity and reliability of these methods cannot be compared because of the lack of data. 

Coke oven workers are at risk for developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There is a dose-dependent relationship between exposure to the benzene soluble fraction of coke oven emissions and COPD. Smoking in coke oven workers synergistically increases the incidence of COPD.1621 Though many of the compounds in cigarette smoke are identical to those in coke oven emissions, that alone cannot account for the observed synergism. 

A very sensitive method for determination of phenol, methylated phenols and resorcinol is based on bromination in acidic solution, LLE with benzene and GC-ECD, with or without previous silylation. For phenol-cresol mixtures, RSD was 4.9-8.5%, using 10 mL of 0.1 p.M aqueous solution and 2 mL benzene for extraction. The method was applied for determination of phenols in cigarette smoke and human urine" . Conditions were investigated for precolumn quantitative bromination of phenols in water solution for subsequent determination by GC-ECD. Analytical errors of 5 to 25% were found for concentrations in the 0.5 to 100 xgL range". ... 

Coal Tar Products. In an industrial health survey of employees in a wood preservative plant in which coal tar creosote, coal tar, and pentachlorophenol were the main treatments used, cardiovascular effects, including increased diastolic blood pressure, were noted in 21% (24 of 113) of the employees examined (TOMA 1979). Industrial hygiene surveys of coal tar pitch volatiles at this and three other wood preservative plants indicated that airborne exposure to benzene-soluble components of the coal tar pitch volatiles was within the OSHA permissible limit of 0.2 mg/m3 in 94% of the samples (TOMA 1979). The other 6% of the samples ranged from 0.21 to 3.6 mg/m3 (TOMA 1979). Nevertheless, no clear relationship could be established because exposure routes in addition to inhalation (e.g., oral and dermal) were likely. Also, the ability to relate cardiovascular effects to coal tar creosote and coal tar exposure was further confounded by the possibility that the subjects were also exposed to other chemicals including pentachlorophenol and cigarette smoke (TOMA 1979). Additional limitations of the study are noted above (see "Respiratory Effects"). However, in another industrial study, an increase in mortality from... 

Since the discovery in the Eighteenth Century of scrotal cancer in young chimney sweeps caused by exposure to soot, epidemiological studies have identified a considerable number of human carcinogens. The list includes cigarette smoke, asbestos, benzene, vinyl chloride, nickel, chromium, cadmium, alcohol, ionizing radiation, radon, benzidine and arsenic (1). Many of these discoveries have come from studies of workers in various industries. 

Chronic or cumulative toxicity is manifested as a result of continuous exposure to a chemical. A common example is the genotoxicity of benzene, a chemical present in car exhausts and cigarette smoke. The metabolism of benzene in the fiver results in the formation of highly reactive free-radicals. These in turn may cause damage to the genetic material of a cell, in some cases leading to cancer. 

Chopra, N.M. and A. Al-Kubaisi A study of the pyrogen-esis of PAHs in cigarette smoke Pyrolysis of benzene, naphthalene, and P-sitosterol 8th Intemat. Tob. Sci. Cong., Vienna, Austria, 1984, CORESTA Inf. Bull., Spec. Edition 1984 Paper S14, 54-55. 

Phillips Determination of benzene and associated volatile compounds in mainstream cigarette smoke Analyst... 

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