FYI... (re Toxin Benzene)

Greetings, All:

Someone forwarded this article to me, so I did a little research on it and just wanted to share what I received from the NCI.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the verdict is still out on this. I did a live chat with one of their agents and the person did direct me to a FAQ session about Benzene. See two (2) of the questions I thought were more important and the answers given below this article in red.
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Very Important !!!!

The given article is based on true facts! (Not as yet proven)

Please do not turn on A/C immediately as soon as you enter the car. Open the windows after you enter your car and turn ON the air-conditioning after a couple of minutes.

According to a research done, the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener emits Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen - take note of the heated plastic Smell in your car).

In addition to causing cancer, it poisons your bones, causes anemia, and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer. May also cause miscarriage.

Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft.. A car parked indoors with the windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors, under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level and the people inside the car will inevitably inhale an excess amount of the toxins.

It is recommended that you open the windows and door to give time for the interior to air out before you enter.

Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver, and is very difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.
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How might people be exposed to benzene?
People can be exposed to benzene by smoking, breathing second-hand smoke, pumping gasoline, driving, and from air pollution. Elevated levels of benzene can occur in the air around gas stations, areas of high car traffic, and industrial plants that either produce or use it.

Can people get cancer from being exposed to benzene?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), after examining many scientific studies, concluded that benzene does cause cancer in humans. Occupational studies of workers exposed to high levels of benzene have shown that benzene causes leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow (where blood cells are made).