| Use | MFR MEDICINAL CHEM, DYES, ORG CMPD, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER,
LINOLEUM, OIL CLOTH, VARNISHES, LACQUERS; SOLVENT FOR WAXES, RESINS,
OILS USE AS SOLVENT IS NOW DISCOURAGED
Used for printing & lithography, paint, rubber, dry cleaning, adhesives & coatings, detergents
Extraction and rectification; preparation and use of inks in the graphic arts industries; as a thinner
for paints; as a degreasing agent
CHEM INT FOR ETHYLBENZENE, CUMENE, CYCLOHEXANE, NITROBENZENE,
MALEIC ANHYDRIDE, CHLOROBENZENES, DETERGENT ALKYLATE,
ANTHRAQUINONE, BENZENE HEXACHLORIDE, BENZENE SULFONIC ACID,
BIPHENYL, HYDROQUINONE, & RESORCINOL
/Benzol for pesticidal uses has been cancelled. It was in use alone or in formulations for
screwworm control on animals. It was an ingredient of some early grain fumigants
In the tire industry (McMichael et al, 1975), & in shoe factories (Aksoy et al, 1974), benzene is
used extensively.
Used primarily as a raw material in the synthesis of styrene (polystyrene plastics and synthetic
rubber), phenol (phenolic resins), cyclohexane (nylon), aniline, maleic anhydride (polyester
resins), alkylbenzenes (detergents), chlorobenzenes, and other products used in the production of
drugs, dyes, insecticides, and plastics.
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| Consumption Patterns | Consumption by chemical industry in USA, 1977: 1.4 billion gallons annually.
CHEM INT FOR ETHYLBENZENE, 49.1%; CHEM INT FOR CUMENE, 18.4%; CHEM INT
FOR CYCLOHEXANE, 15.1%; CHEM INT FOR NITROBENZENE, 4.5%; CHEM INT FOR
MALEIC ANHYDRIDE, 2.8%; CHEM INT FOR CHLOROBENZENES, 2.5%; CHEM INT
FOR DETERGENT ALKYLATE, 2.4%; EXPORTS, 2.7%; OTHER USES, 2.5% (1981
NON-GASOLINE USES)
Demand: (1980) 1,586 Million Gal; Projected demand for (1984): 1,708 Million Gal
BENZENE RANKED 17TH IN 1981 & 1982 IN THE TOP 50 CHEMICAL PRODUCTION:
BILLIONS OF LB: 7.87 (1982), 9.61 (1981).
Ethylbenzene/styrene, 52%; cumene/phenol, 22%; clyclohexane, 15%; nitrobenzene/aniline, 4.5%;
detergent alkylate, 2.5%; chlorobenzenes, maleic anhydride and other, 3%; exports, 1% (1984)
USA benzene demand is projected to climb from 3.8% in 1987, to 5.7 million tons, and reach 6
million tons in 1990 (1987 and 1990)
In future, coal will increasingly replace petroleum & natural gas as a source of hydrocarbons both
for fuel & petrochemicals. Processes such as USA Steel Corporation's Clean Coke process, which
yields 38% coke & 20% chemical by-products compared to 73% coke & 2% chemical
by-products in conventional coking technology, should soon be used commercially. New coking,
liquefaction, & gasification processes for coal are all potential sources of benzene.
CHEMICAL PROFILE: Benzene. Ethylbenzene/styrene, 55%; cumene/phenol, 21%;
cyclohexane, 14%; nitrobenzene/aniline, 5%; detergent alkylate, 3%; chlorobenzenes, exports and
others, 2%.
CHEMICAL PROFILE: Benzene. Demand: 1986: 1,603 million gal; 1987: 1,667 million gal;
1991 projected/: 1,790 million gal. (Includes imports; 155 million gal were imported in 1986.)
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| Drinking Water Impact | DRINKING WATER: 113 public supplies, 1976, 7 sites pos, avg of positive sites <0.2
ppb . 5 USA cities, 1974-5, 0-0.3 ppb . Contaminated drinking water wells in NY, NJ, CT,
30-300 ppb; highest concn in drinking water from surface source, 4.4 ppb . 3 surveys of
community water supplies: 0 of 111 pos; 7 of 113 pos, mean 4 ppb; 4 of 16 pos (0.95
ppb-max) . USA Groundwater Supply Survey (GWS, 1982, finished drinking water), 466
samples selected at random from 1000 in survey, 0.6% pos, 3 ppb median, 15 ppb max .
Wisconsin drinking water wells, data through Jun 1984, 1174 community wells, 0.34% pos, 617
private wells, 2.9% pos(6).
GROUNDWATER: Chalk Aquifer (UK), 210 m from petrol storage, 1-10 ppb; Chalk Aquifer
(UK), 120 m from petrol storage, >250 ppb; Chalk Aquifer (UK), 10 m from petrol storage, 1250
ppb; distances refer to benzene movement in groundwater .
SURFACE WATER: 14 heavily industrialized with basins, 1975-1976, 20% samples >1 ppb and
between 1 and 7 ppb . Lake Erie, 1975-6, 0-1 ppb, 1 of 2 sites positive; Lake Michigan,
1975-6, 0-7 ppb, 5 of 7 sites positive . 700 random sites in US, 1975, 5.4 ppb avg . US EPA
STORET database, 1,271 samples, 15.0% pos, 5.0 ppb median .
SEAWATER: 5-15 parts per trillion Gulf of Mexico, 1977, unpolluted areas; 5-175 parts per
trillion, Gulf of Mexico, 1977, anthropogenic influence .
RAIN/SNOW: Detected in rainwater in Japan and in the UK (87.2 ppb)(1,2).
Benzene occurs in both ground water and surface public water supplies with higher levels
occurring in ground water supplies. Based upon Federal drinking water surveys, approximately
1.3% of all ground water systems are estimated to contain benzene at levels greater than 0.5 ug/l.
The highest level reported in the surveys for ground water was 80 ug/l. Approximately 3% of all
surface water system are estimated to be contaminated at levels higher than 0.5 ug/l. None of the
systems are expected to contain levels higher than 5 ug/l.
EFFL: Wastewater from coal preparation plants, 0.3-48 ppb ; wastewater from plants which
manufacture or use benzene <1-179 parts per trillion ; stack emissions from coking plants
(Czechoslovakia), 15-50 ppm ; stack emission estimates from chemical plants using emissions
and worst case modeling at 150 m from source, less than or equal to 5 ppm . Groundwater at
178 CERCLA hazardous waste sites, 11.2% pos . US EPA STORET database, 1,474 samples,
16.4% pos, 2.50 ppb median .
Industries in which mean or max levels in raw wastewater exceeded 1 ppm are (number of
samples, percent pos, mean, max, in ppm): raw wastewater: auto and other laundries (20 samples,
70% pos, <1.4 ppm mean, 23 ppm max), iron and steal manufacturing (mfg) (9 samples, 77.8%
pos, <8.0 mean, 46 max), aluminum forming (32 samples, 56.2% pos, 0.70 mean, 2.1 max),
photographic equipment/supplies (48 samples, 54.2% pos, 0.16 mean, 2.1 max), pharmaceutical
mfg (9 samples, 100% pos, 12 mean, 87 max), organic chemical/plastics mfg (number of samples
not reported (NR), 63 detections, 22, NR), paint and ink formulation (36 samples, 63.9% pos, 1.2
mean, 9.9 max), petroleum refining (11 samples, number of pos NR, <0.10, 2.4), rubber
processing (4 samples, 100% pos, 0.60 mean, 3.4 max), timber products processing (14 samples,
92.9% pos, 0.2 mean, 2.8 max); treated wastewater: auto and other laundries (4 samples, 50%
pos, 0.1 ppm mean, 0.2 ppm max), iron and steal manufacturing (mfg) (13 samples, 76.9% pos,
<14 mean, 120 max), aluminum forming (21 samples, 81.0% pos, <0.0058 mean, 0.040 max),
photographic equipment/supplies (4 samples, 100% pos, 0.016 mean, 0.021 max), pharmaceutical
mfg (6 samples, 100% pos, 1.8 mean, 10 max), organic chemical/plastics mfg (number of samples
not reported (NR), 42 detections, 26, max NR), paint and ink formulation (24 samples, 62.5%
pos, 0.39 mean, 3.8 max), petroleum refining (13 samples, NR, NR, 0.012), rubber processing (5
samples, 100% pos, <0.0077 mean, 0.010 max), timber products processing (5 samples, 60% pos,
0.010 mean, 0.033 max) .
Industrial sources of wastewater pollution from benzene in ug/l (avg; range): coal mining (2.6;
0-15), textile mills (<5; 0-200), timber products processing (350; 0-2,800), petroleum refining
(>100; ND), paint and ink formulation (1,200; 0-9,900), gum and wood chemicals (180; 0-710),
rubber processing (610; 0-3,400), auto and other laundries (840; 0-23,000), pharmaceuticals
(220; 0-2,100), ore mining and dressing (2.1; 0-4.2), steam electric power (45, ND), foundries
(200; ND), leather tanning and finishing (19; 0-150), nonferrous metals (11; 0-160), iron and steel
(2,000; 0-43,000). From table
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