what are the medical implications of benzene if it is not metabolized properly by the body? discuss your answe

Answer 1

Benzene is readily absorbed following ingestion producing CNS depression with symptoms as described under inhalation. There are no human reports of blood or immune system effects resulting from ingestion, although these effects have been observed in animal experiments.

In one case report, accidental ingestion and/or attempted suicide with benzene produced pneumonitis (probably caused by aspiration of benzene into the lungs) as one of the symptoms. Based on this observation, the physical properties (viscosity and surface tension) and the fact that benzene is a petroleum distillate, benzene can probably be aspirated. Aspiration is the inhalation of a material into the lungs during ingestion or vomiting. Severe lung irritation, damage to the lung tissues and death may result.
IMMUNE SYSTEM : Studies of workers have found changes in the immune system, which are at least partially related to the changes in the blood system discussed above.

NERVOUS SYSTEM: Two limited studies (there was exposure to other chemicals and exposure levels were not well established) suggest that benzene may cause effects on the peripheral nerves and/or spinal cord. Symptoms included an increased incidence of headaches, fatigue, difficulty sleeping and memory loss among workers with significant exposures.

Benzene is readily absorbed by inhalation or ingestion and is rapidly distributed throughout the body, particularly in fatty tissues. Metabolism occurs primarily in the liver and to a lesser extent in the bone marrow, producing intermediates which account for the toxicity of benzene. In humans, the half life is 1 to 2 days. Accumulation is not expected for benzene or its metabolites. Benzene is primarily exhaled through the lungs, unchanged or excreted as metabolites in the urine.

Answer 2

Of course benzene can be metabolized in the body.

It is when we receive doses of benzene over a certain level that the body has problems dealing with it, then it can cause cancer etc.

Answer 3

The diseases that are caused by occupational exposure to benzene are too many to enumerate. Most frequently these diseases are diseases of the blood, including aplastic anemia, leukemia, and lymphoma. Occupational diseases affect virtually every organ system of the human body, include malignancies and non-malignant disorders, and manifest as both acute and chronic conditions. It has been said that "occupationally induced diseases mimic natural disorders."