Who asked for benzene in their soft drinks and their workplace anyway and how did it get there? Certainly not Patricia Pirillo-Green's father who died of leukemia, or Mark Smith who suffers from chronic asthma.
Let's start with the soft drink industry. Fifteen years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed the food and beverage industry to regulate itself. Obviously, this policy isn't working, at the possible detriment of the American public.
While Coca-Cola and Pepsi are the latest companies to be hit with lawsuits alleging their beverages contain high levels of benzene, other soft-drink makers such as Zone Brands Inc. (BellyWashers products) and TalkingRain Beverage Company (TalkingRain Ice) have settled. They both agreed to change their formulas and to offer consumers refunds on the original products.
Big deal. Is a refund on a bottle of soda enough to compensate consumer safety? That's a slap on the wrist: benzene is a known carcinogen linked to leukemia.
The legal dispute over benzene in soft drinks occurred about six months after a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientist told BeverageDaily.com that benzene was still appearing in some drinks above the U.S. safety limit for drinking water. Coca-Cola says its Vault Zero is safe, although the lawsuit claims that tests show benzene at 13 parts per billion, clearly well above the 5ppb limit set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as safe for drinking water.
Regulators are diligent when it comes to controls on our drinking water, but federal regulations have no standards in place for benzene levels in fruit drinks and sodas. And many Americans consume more soft drinks than they do water.
What is the FDA doing to protect the consumer? Who should we trust?
A survey released by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) suggests the agency is suppressing scientific evidence in favor of industry. "A disturbing level of interference in the agency's research," was reported by many of 1,000 scientists who responded to the survey, saying they "had their work manipulated or suppressed, and feared retaliation if they expressed their opinions in public", the UCS reported.
Many of these scientists are employed by the FDA. According to the UCS survey, only 47 percent believe that the "FDA routinely provides complete and accurate information to the public." About 81 per cent reported that the "public would be better served if the independence and authority of FDA post-market safety systems were strengthened." Clearly, soft drink companies are well aware of the lack of, or even non-existent, restrictions by U.S. regulators.
In the US, lawsuits are more effective in protecting the public, particularly when it comes to the food and beverage industry. The regulators appear to have closed the barn door after the horse has bolted.
Occupational Exposure to Benzene
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that about half of the U.S. population has been exposed to benzene, but those who work with benzene are at greatest risk. It can lead to serious illnesses such as leukemia, AML (acute myelogenous leukemia), ALL (acute lymphatic leukemia), CML (chronic myelogenous leukemia), Hodgkin's Disease, HCL (hairy cell leukemia), and aplastic anemia.
Oklahoma City, OK: "My mother told me that she was sure my father worked with benzene in the company that manufactured engines," says Patricia Pirillo-Green. "Now there are signs posted at the same company stating that the chemicals used are known to cause cancer."These warnings weren't posted when my father was alive. He died of leukemia in 1981 and he was 46 years old. The chemical company must have known about these chemicals and the only reason they are posting these signs is because it is now required by law. In those days nothing was done to protect worker safety. Cancer doesn't run in our family - my dad's mother lived to be well over 90; his sisters are both still living and healthy and they are both in their 70s. I was only 15 when my dad died and my little brother was 10, and I have four older siblings. My mother never remarried or dated. I took it really hard when he died and I wasn't able to cope with it - his death set the stage for bad things that happened in my life and only recently have I come to terms with it. My dad was our sole supporter and life was harsh when he passed away. My mother's life was also over when he died.
I want to say this to everyone: these industries are making massive amounts of money while people get sick. Would they allow their family members to get exposed to this stuff? I don't understand how people can do this - I believe that people are more important than money but not everyone shares my belief."
Little Rock, AR:"I have worked for 23 years in auto dealership garages where a lot of cleaners contained benzene, such as engine degreasers and choke intake cleaners," says Mark Smith. "All these cans have warnings to spray in a well-ventilated area, and the MSDS sheets warn that respirators must be used.
"But I have to constantly visit the garage and literally walk into the fumes - I don't have a respirator. It happens all the time because there is no policing of chemicals in any dealership that I ever worked in. None of them have ever issued respirators to use, even to the mechanics. The only people who use respirators are the guys working in body shops. I have worked at many garages: Chevrolet, Toyota, Volvo, Ford, all the biggies. None have safety protection in place.
Not only that, these auto makers never check on safety procedures. They are more interested in handling customer complaints than worker safety. They just turn a blind eye and don't even know, or care, how their vehicles are being sprayed. The chemicals are invisible and they permeate the air; I would say ¼ of the shop is full of this stuff. In wintertime it's worse because the exhaust fans aren't on - they don't want heat to escape so there is no ventilation.
I think the ventilation systems in auto shops and spraying of chemicals is the most unregulated thing in the car business. In 23 years I have never seen anyone ask about chemical sprays. And it continues - it is mind-boggling."
To date, there have been successful lawsuits brought against industries and chemical companies filed by workers exposed to benzene, resulting in millions of dollars paid out to families whose loved ones succumbed to terminal illness due to benzene exposure.