Almost everyone is exposed to benzene on a daily basis. The substance is found in cigarette smoke, gas fumes, paint and many glue products. Benzene toxicity is found in the air, soil and water. Exposure to benzene at toxic levels can cause serious health problems. Several health organizations have named benzene as a known carcinogen which mostly causes blood borne cancers such as leukemia.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) drinking water standard is .005 milligrams per liter. If benzene is accidentally spilled into the water, the EPA requires the entity responsible for the spill to file a report. The permissible level for anyone who works around benzene is on part per one million part of air during an 8-airr workday. Benzene can also be leaked into the air as the result of an industrial accident. Workers are only allowed to be exposed to benzene that is airborne at a high level for 15 minutes.