title: Illness Symptoms Experienced by Children Exposed to Benzene After a Flaring Incident at the BP Refinery Facility in Texas City.
abstract: Objective To evaluate the illness symptoms experienced by children who were exposed to benzene following a flaring incident at the BP refinery in Texas City, Texas. Methods A total of 641 children, aged <17 years, exposed to benzene were included. Using medical charts, data on the children's illness symptoms as well as the serum levels of β-2-microglobulin and the amount of urinary excretion of phenol were reviewed and analyzed. Results A total of 1790 illness symptoms were reported in 641 children exposed to benzene. Upper respiratory symptoms were the most (67%) frequently reported, followed by neurological symptoms (57%), diarrhea (25%), and cough (24%). Logistic regression analysis indicated that neurological symptoms (R(2) = 0.75), chest pain (R(2) = 0.64), joint pain (R(2) = 0.57), and vision difficulty (R(2) = 0.54) were positively associated with increasing age. β-2-Microglobulin levels were significantly higher in children <5 years compared with those >5 year (P = .04). Conversely, urinary phenol levels were significantly lower in children <5 years compared with those >5 years (P = .00). Conclusion Together, these findings reveal that children exposed to benzene experience a range of illness symptoms and an altered profile of urinary phenol indicating their vulnerability to potentially increased health complications.
authors.affiliation: University Cancer and Diagnostic Centers, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.affiliation: University Cancer and Diagnostic Centers, Houston, TX, USA kreddy_usa@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: G Kesava
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001554:Benzene / Q000506:poisoning*; D015984:Causality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001554:Benzene
keywords: benzene poisoning; chemical exposure; health complaints; illness symptoms; petroleum refinery; urinary metabolites of benzene