Gas Station Attendants
Gas Station Attendants & Leukemia
Why are gas station attendants at elevated risk for leukemia? Individuals who worked as gas station attendants prior to the 1990’s may have been exposed to dangerous levels of benzene. Benzene exposures can sicken workers decades after the actual exposures. As a result of their benzene exposures, gas station attendants are at an elevated risk for leukemia, including Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).
Benzene is a colorless chemical that is found in gasoline and diesel fuel. While today’s gas pumps have vapor recovery systems to reduce benzene vapors, most pumps did not have those systems until the 1990s.
In addition, the benzene content in gasoline was much higher – as much as 5% – prior to enactment of EPA regulations in 2012. Now, the benzene content in gasoline is restricted to less than 1%.
Gas station attendants diagnosed with AML or MDS have successfully brought lawsuits against the refiners and distributors of gasoline and diesel fuel. Why is that? The companies that manufactured and sold these products were aware of the dangers of benzene before they began to reduce the concentration of benzene in the products.
If you worked as a gas station attendant and have developed a blood or bone marrow cancer, please contact an experienced benzene lawyer at 1-800-BENZENE.
