Benzene was Just Found in Multiple Brands of Sunscreen
Just in time for summer: benzene was recently found in different batches of sunscreen. A pharmacy that tests sunscreen and other after-sun products found that various brands of sunscreen contained the carcinogen. Valisure, the company that did the testing, batch tests medications before they reach consumers. This past year, the company found benzene in hand sanitizer products as well. Valisure found that 78 different sun care products contained the carcinogen. Twenty-seven percent of the samples had detectable benzene, with some of the products containing three times the legal limit of two parts per million of the carcinogen. This is very bad for consumers because chemicals in sunscreen can be absorbed through the skin and be found in the blood of people using the product.
Valisure is asking the FDA to recall the sunscreens that contain benzene. It also wants more defined limits of benzene in all cosmetic and drug products. The sunscreens containing benzene are isolated and the pharmacy is asking that consumers still use uncontaminated products to protect themselves from ultraviolet radiation. If you want to know if your sunscreen has been contaminated with benzene, click here.
Benzene cannot exist at any level in sunscreen. While consumers are trying to prevent skin cancer, they are exposing themselves to a cancer-causing substance. Benzene is a naturally occurring chemical that can be found in gasoline, volcanoes, forest fires, and cigarette smoke. It is colorless and odorless, so it cannot be detected in products like sunscreen without proper testing procedures. Benzene is dangerous because it causes a cancer of the blood called acute myeloid leukemia. This cancer usually turns into cancer from cells that would turn into white blood cells, but there are other types as well. Once benzene enters the body, it can negatively affect the bone marrow and decrease red blood cell levels. It also affects the immune system, leading to larger chances of infection.
People exposed to benzene also have short term effects after contact with the substance. People can experience drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, headaches, tremors, confusion, unconsciousness, and death.
Were you exposed to a harmful carcinogen like benzene or asbestos? You could be entitled to compensation. People working with these carcinogens can later develop mesothelioma, lung cancer, and acute myeloid leukemia. If you were diagnosed with lung cancer, mesothelioma, or acute myeloid leukemia, contact us today by calling 412-471-3980 or by filling out our contact form and one of our attorneys or staff members will get back to you as soon as possible to review your case.
