Current concepts of chronic benzene toxicity.

AbstractThe maladies that have beset mankind throughout history may in general be classified as parasitic (infections, infestations, etc.), nutritional/endocrine disease (hyper- or hypofunctional endocrine organs, etc.), or traumatic injury (accidents, war, etc.). With the development of an industrial society, new forms of disease arose in which people succumbed to illness induced by exposure to toxic materials in the course of their labor. Occupational diseases have been with us for many centuries,1, 2 but the incidence of industrial toxicity increased markedly with the advent of the industrial revolution. Although efforts to protect workers against job-related illness have been vigorous in recent years, economic necessity compels the continued use of hazardous chemicals, and benzene is an excellent case in point. It has been estimated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health that about 2, 000, 000 persons in the national work force have potential exposure to benzene.