High levels of cancer-causing gas found in oil and gas sites, CDC study says

Oil and gas workers are being exposed to dangerous levels of benzene, a colorless gas that can cause cancer, says a study by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control.

NIOSH—which recommends that workers limit benzene exposure to an average of 0.1 of a part per million during their shift—said that 15 of 17 samples from a 2013 study at six Wyoming and Colorado gas and oil sites were over that limit, Neela Banerjee reports for the Los Angeles Times. "The amounts were still below the far higher limit of 1 part per million set by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration."

Workers are exposed to benzene when they open hatches atop tanks at well sites "to inspect the contents of these tanks, which could include oil, waste water or chemicals used in high-volume hydraulic fracturing," Banerjee writes. "The real-time readings taken by researchers show that benzene levels at the wells 'reached concentrations that, depending on the length of exposure, potentially pose health risks for workers.'”

The study's authors said benzene “is of major concern because it can be acutely toxic to the nervous system, liver and kidneys at high concentrations," Banerjee writes. The CDC said benzene "can cause bone marrow not to produce enough red blood cells, which can lead to anemia. Also, it can damage the immune system by changing blood levels of antibodies and causing the loss of white blood cells.” (Read more)