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Published on February 2, 2008

The Pollution Control Depart-ment (PCD) is planning measures to reduce the amount of carcinogenic benzene vapours being released into the atmosphere, particularly at petrol stations.

PCD chief Supat Wangwongwattana said yesterday that a study had found that people working at petrol stations over a six-month period were exposed to 25 times more benzene vapour than the average person.

Also, many roads in Bangkok such as Din Daeng, Rama IV, Rama IV and Lat Phrao have higher-than-acceptable levels of air pollution due to extensive use of petrol.

The problem is particularly bad due to benzene vapours released from gas-pit valves at some 1,100 petrol stations across Bangkok, which puts their employees at risk, said Supat.

Besides the installation of gas pit valve-controlling devices at petrol stations by 2012, related agencies and oil companies have pushed for the Energy Ministry to control the petrol production process to reduce the benzene content from the current 3 per cent to 1 per cent.

They also aim to encourage the manufacture of cars with a benzene vapour-catching device in the petrol tank.

The Medical Science Department studied benzene traces in 159 respondents - 101 service-station employees aged 10 to 59 and the rest members of the general public aged 19-59 - in Muang Nakhon Ratchasima.

Employees of petrol stations were found to have benzene levels in their bodies ranging from 0.00 to 29.24 mg/g creatinine, while the general public had no benzene traces.

Two workers had benzene levels of more than 25 mg/g creatinine - the level deemed safe by the American Conference of Industrial Hygienists - after working at a petrol station for six months.

One of the researchers, Sasithorn Sukritha, said service-station workers were at higher risk of leukaemia and anaemia than other people because their jobs exposed them to benzene vapours all the time.

She urged them to undergo a check-up at least once a year for benzene levels in their blood, liver and kidney, and signs of anaemia.

Another survey of petrol-station workers in Bangkok's Vibhavadi-Rangsit, Lat Phrao, Silom, Victory Monument and Sukhumvit's Soi Onnuj areas found that most of those aged 16-25 often suffered from headaches, rashes and fatigue.

Some of those surveyedclaimed their hearts beat faster after exposure to benzene vapours.

The Nation