In the near future, we will be posting additional blog posts about the dangers of benzene exposure, particularly in the workplace.
At the Law Office of Alvin F. de Levie, Esq., our affiliate attorneys with whom we work specialize in litigation involving serious injury and death caused by benzene exposure. Our affiliates have decades of experience handling benzene cases throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and throughout the United States. They have fought zealously time and time again to see these cases through to significant verdicts and settlements.
According to an announcement published by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) on September 30, 2021, popular sunscreen manufacturer, Coppertone, has issued a voluntary nationwide recall of several of its aerosol sunscreen sprays. The recall was announced after Coppertone identified benzene contamination in the following products (if you have any of these products in your home, stop using them and discard them right away):
Please check the FDA announcement above for specific UPC codes, lot numbers and manufacturing dates of the specific products involved.
This is not the first time this year a company has recalled aerosol sunscreens due to benzene contamination. In July of 2021, we wrote on this blog about how Johnson & Johnson recalled several of its’ own aerosol spray sunscreens after internal testing revealed benzene in the products.
In this article, we will discuss why benzene is appearing in sunscreen products, as well as the dangers and hazards associated with this volatile chemical.
What Is Benzene and How is it Getting into Sunscreen Products?
As we previously explained in our article on the Johnson & Johnson recall, benzene is a dangerous, highly toxic, sweet smelling, colorless and extremely flammable liquid used in the production of gasoline, industrial solvents, plastics, detergents, pesticides, dyes, rubber, lubricants and other such products.
While Benzene is a commonly used chemical, it is not an ingredient in sunscreen products. It is likely, therefore, that the benzene found in the Coppertone and Johson & Johnson sunscreens is a product of contamination during the manufacturing process While we do not know for sure how the products became contaminated, Dr. Laura Cohen, President and CEO of CoLabs International, has opined the benzene found in the sunscreens occurs either as a byproduct of manufacturing or in the production of materials actually used in sunscreen, such as alcohol or aloe vera. The benzene byproducts would have then developed as a result of manufacturing the sunscreen ingredients, contaminating those ingredients and then contaminating the entire product.
Why is Benzene so Dangerous?
Benzene exposure can cause serious damage to the brain, liver, heart, kidney, lungs and other organs. It can also cause damage to bone marrow and has been shown to cause damage to your DNA.
Long-term exposure to Benzene has been linked to several serious and fatal conditions, such as:
Even short-term exposure can cause a variety of serious health problems, such as:
Due to the dangers posed by benzene, there are several laws and regulations which aim to protect those who face a high risk of benzene exposure in their daily occupations. For example, theOccupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has limited the amount of benzene which can be in the air to 1 part of benzene per 1 million parts of air (1ppm). However, even continued exposure to low doses of benzene can cause serious health problems. In a 1948 report, the American Petroleum Institute declared "it is generally considered that the only absolutely safe concentration for benzene is zero.”
What Should YOU do if a Loved One or Friend Suffered Health Problems or Died as a Result of Benzene Exposure?
YOU SHOULD CONTACT AN EXPERIENCED ATTORNEY IMMEDIATELY.
These cases often require extensive, urgent and experienced investigation to ensure critical evidence is preserved and properly tested and analyzed by experts familiar with many scientific concepts ranging from chemical structures to DNA. You need an attorney who has the experience and resources to investigate your case so key data is preserved, and to bring in competent experts to prove your case.
At the Law Office of Alvin F. de Levie, Esq., our affiliate attorneys have decades of experience representing individuals and families devastated by exposure to benzene. Our affiliate attorneys have handled benzene cases throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and throughout the United States that have resulted in significant verdicts and settlements. If you or someone you know have been harmed or died as a result of benzene exposure, please call our firm – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – at 844-777-2529 (Toll Free) or (215) 696-3900 for a consultation. One of our team members will be in immediate contact with you. We maintain offices throughout Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, State College and Bellefonte. We are willing to meet our clients anywhere.
Alvin F. de Levie is a 1973, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the Pennsylvania State University and a 1976 graduate of the Villanova University School of Law. He is an expert in Pennsylvania Law revolving around medical malpractice and personal injury.
Mr. de Levie has consistently been voted by his peers to receive Martindale-Hubbell's "AV Preeminent" 5.0 out of 5.0 rating. An AV Preeminent rating is the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards.
