Low-Level Benzene Exposure and Hematological Alterations among Petrochemical Workers

Background: Previous studies on the relationship between benzene exposure and hematotoxicity have reported inconclusive findings, particularly at low exposure levels. This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between low-level benzene exposure and changes in hematological parameters among petrochemical workers.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 495 benzene-exposed workers and 217 sex-matched non-exposed controls were assessed. Demographic, occupational, and medical data were collected. Air monitoring was conducted to determine benzene exposure, and the time-weighted average (TWA) was calculated. Blood samples were analyzed for hematological parameters. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. All exposures were within the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL). The mean TWA benzene exposure among the exposed group was 0.07±0.37 ppm.Results: After adjustment for confounders, statistically significant associations were observed for red blood cell (RBC) count and mean corpuscular volume (MCV). No significant associations were found for other hematological parameters.Conclusion: RBC count and i ts i ndices, particularly MCV, appear to be more sensitive to low-level benzene exposure thanother blood parameters. These findings suggest that benzene may exert hematotoxic effects even at concentrations below the current OSHA PEL-TWA.