More Information on Societal Impacts
Worker Exposure & Occupational Hazards
Industries such as oil refineries, chemical plants, and manufacturing facilities often use benzene as a raw material. Workers in these settings face daily exposure to benzene vapors and contaminated surfaces. Benzene is volatile and lipid-soluble, it can be absorbed through both inhalation and skin contact, putting workers at higher risk of developing anemia, immune suppression, and leukaemia. This raises ethical and legal concerns about workplace safety standards and the responsibility of employers to protect their workers.
Healthcare Costs
Benzene-related illnesses, such as leukaemia and other blood disorders, place a heavy financial strain on healthcare systems. The costs of medical treatment, long-term care, and loss of productivity from sick workers add up quickly. These costs stem directly from benzene’s toxic metabolites that damage DNA and bone marrow, leading to diseases that require intensive treatment. Preventing exposure is far more cost-effective than managing the health crises benzene creates.
Environmental Cleanup & Economic Costs
When benzene contaminates soil or groundwater, repairing it is extremely challenging. Its aromatic stability and solubility in organic materials make it resistant to breakdown, needing advanced technologies like soil vapour extraction, activated carbon filtration, or controlled incineration. These methods are expensive and time-consuming, making financial strains for industries, governments, and taxpayers. Large spills can ruin local economies, particularly in agricultural or fishing communities, where contamination ruins land and water resources.
Social Justice & Vulnerable Communities
Benzene pollution does not affect all groups equally. Communities located near highways, industrial plants, or refineries, often lower-income or marginalized populations, are exposed to higher levels of benzene in the air and water. This creates a social justice issue, as the people least able to afford healthcare are often the most exposed. Catholic social teaching would call this an injustice, since the common good and protection of vulnerable groups should come before industrial profit.
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