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Benzene Benzene is the basic aromatic hydrocarbon, chemical formula C6H6. It is a colourless, highly flammable liquid which vaporises easily. sources Domestic fuel combustion mainly for heating is now the largest source of benzene in the air in the UK.  Ref: UK air quality review 2007 large pdf file page 22.  Emissions from domestic heating is 3000 tonne, the total UK emissions are 11 000 tonne.  health effects Benzene is a group 1 carcinogen.  Long term effects from chronic, low exposures are anaemia and leukaemia, a cancer of white blood cells. exposure You can be exposed to benzene by ingesting, inhaling and by skin absorption.  The American EPA considers that a lifetime exposure of 1ug/m3 would result in a very small number, if any, of leukaemia deaths in its population.  The UK and Europe have adopted a limit standard of 5ug/m3.  The UK emission factor for bituminous coal is 0.62g/kg and for wood is 5.0g/kg.  Using a simple ratio, if you are having to breathe 20ug/m3 of PM10 from wood burning as an annual average in your local area, then you are breathing in about 12ug/m3 of benzene.  Your chances of dying from benzene caused leukaemia are small but significant.  Smoking 20 cigarattes a day exposes you to 600ug, the equivalent air concentration exposure of 60ug/m3. (Ref: atsdr p276) links UK government benzene emissions introduction  benzene information   benzene information from Canada UK 1994 government health study on benzene  (contains some very good information but remember its date)  American Cancer Society benzene page   IARC summary on benzene  (group 1 carcinogen) atsdr statement  atsdr benzene public health chapter (p16)  American EPA benzene summary  UK bezene at work  (UK health and Safety Executive) UK air quality 2007 review  (pages 87 - 91) UK Health Protection Agency benzene pages  EU 1998 position paper on benzene  Conversion factors To convert concentrations in air (at 25°C) from ppm to mg/m3: mg/m3 = (ppm) × (molecular weight of the compound)/(24.45). For benzene: 1 ppm = 3.19 mg/m3  or 1ppb = 3.19 ug/m3 .