1.0 2010-04-08 22:10:23 UTC 2025-11-18 23:39:56 UTC FDB012843 Benzene Benzene is a colorless, highly flammable liquid with a characteristic sweet smell. It is partially responsible for the characteristic aroma around gasoline stations. Benzene is used primarily as a precursor to the manufacture of chemicals with more complex structure, such as ethylbenzene and cumene. Benzene has a high-octane number and as a result benzene along with various aromatic derivatives like toluene and xylene typically comprise up to 25% of gasoline. Exposure to gasoline or to plant combustion products is the most frequent reason for benzene to be detected in living organisms. Outdoor air frequently contains low levels of benzene from car service stations, wood smoke, tobacco smoke, the transfer of gasoline, exhaust from motor vehicles, and industrial emissions. Low levels of benzene appear to exist and to be produced naturally in all living organisms, ranging from bacteria to plants to humans. Benzene can be produced naturally through spontaneous reactions in cells, in biofluids and in fruits or juices. In particular, benzoic acid and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) in the presence of iron or copper ions can interact to produce benzene (PMID: 26904662). Benzene has been found in a number of processed foods and plants, with the highest concentration being in safflowers. Benzene has also been detected, but not quantified in other plant foods, such as common beans, guava, and lovages. Benzene is a known human carcinogen and is classified by IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) as a class I (most serious) carcinogen. Benzene is also a notorious cause of bone marrow failure. Substantial quantities of epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory data link benzene to aplastic anemia, acute leukemia, bone marrow abnormalities and cardiovascular disease (PMID: 20070208; PMID: 24932584). Human exposure to benzene is a global health problem. Benzene targets the liver, kidney, lung, heart and brain and can cause DNA strand breaks and chromosomal damage. (6)Annulene [6]Annulene {[6]annulene} Annulene Aromatic alkane Benzeen Benzen Benzin Benzine Benzinum Benzol Benzol 90 Benzole Benzolene Benzolo Benzolum Bicarburet OF hydrogen BNZ Carbon oil Coal naphtha Cyclohexatriene Fenzen Mineral naphtha Motor benzol Phene Phenyl hydride Polystream Pyrobenzol Pyrobenzole RNG C6H6 78.1118 78.046950192 benzene benzene 71-43-2 C1=CC=CC=C1 InChI=1S/C6H6/c1-2-4-6-5-3-1/h1-6H UHOVQNZJYSORNB-UHFFFAOYSA-N belongs to the class of organic compounds known as benzene and substituted derivatives. These are aromatic compounds containing one monocyclic ring system consisting of benzene. Benzene and substituted derivatives Organic compounds Benzenoids Benzene and substituted derivatives Aromatic homomonocyclic compounds Aromatic hydrocarbons Unsaturated hydrocarbons Aromatic homomonocyclic compound Aromatic hydrocarbon Hydrocarbon Monocyclic benzene moiety Unsaturated hydrocarbon an aromatic compound aromatic annulene benzenes Liquid logp 2.03 ALOGPS logs -1.85 ALOGPS solubility 1.11e+00 g/l ALOGPS melting_point Mp 5.53° logp 1.97 ChemAxon iupac benzene ChemAxon average_mass 78.1118 ChemAxon mono_mass 78.046950192 ChemAxon smiles C1=CC=CC=C1 ChemAxon formula C6H6 ChemAxon inchi InChI=1S/C6H6/c1-2-4-6-5-3-1/h1-6H ChemAxon inchikey UHOVQNZJYSORNB-UHFFFAOYSA-N ChemAxon polar_surface_area 0 ChemAxon refractivity 26.06 ChemAxon polarizability 8.89 ChemAxon rotatable_bond_count 0 ChemAxon acceptor_count 0 ChemAxon donor_count 0 ChemAxon physiological_charge 0 ChemAxon formal_charge 0 ChemAxon Specdb::EiMs 1270 Specdb::NmrTwoD 1659 Specdb::CMs 20537 Specdb::CMs 27186 Specdb::CMs 27237 Specdb::CMs 29300 Specdb::CMs 29985 Specdb::CMs 99692 Specdb::CMs 99693 Specdb::CMs 99694 Specdb::CMs 99695 Specdb::CMs 154488 Specdb::MsMs 6501 Specdb::MsMs 6502 Specdb::MsMs 6503 Specdb::MsMs 6504 Specdb::MsMs 311743 Specdb::MsMs 311744 Specdb::MsMs 311745 Specdb::MsMs 356824 Specdb::MsMs 356825 Specdb::MsMs 356826 Specdb::MsMs 3037082 Specdb::MsMs 3037083 Specdb::MsMs 3037084 Specdb::MsMs 3106865 Specdb::MsMs 3106866 Specdb::MsMs 3106867 Specdb::NmrOneD 2592 Specdb::NmrOneD 3288 Specdb::NmrOneD 96278 Specdb::NmrOneD 96279 Specdb::NmrOneD 96280 Specdb::NmrOneD 96281 Specdb::NmrOneD 96282 Specdb::NmrOneD 96283 Specdb::NmrOneD 96284 Specdb::NmrOneD 96285 Specdb::NmrOneD 96286 Specdb::NmrOneD 96287 Specdb::NmrOneD 96288 Specdb::NmrOneD 96289 Specdb::NmrOneD 96290 Specdb::NmrOneD 96291 Specdb::NmrOneD 96292 Specdb::NmrOneD 96293 Specdb::NmrOneD 96294 Specdb::NmrOneD 96295 Specdb::NmrOneD 96296 Specdb::NmrOneD 96297 HMDB01505 16716 BNZ #<Reference:0x000055ce324d2410> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d2230> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d2000> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d1e48> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d1c68> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d1a38> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d1880> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d1678> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d1470> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d12b8> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d10b0> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d0ea8> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d0cf0> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d0ae8> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d08e0> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d06b0> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d04d0> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d01d8> #<Reference:0x000055ce324d0020> #<Reference:0x000055ce324cfdf0> Blackberry Type 1 specific Rubus Common bean Type 1 specific Phaseolus vulgaris 3885 Evergreen blackberry Type 1 specific Rubus laciniatus Guava Type 1 specific Psidium guajava 120290 Lovage Type 1 specific Levisticum officinale 48042 Safflower Type 1 specific Carthamus tinctorius 4222 0.019 0.019 0.019 mg/100 g Insecticide 1040 Strictly, a substance intended to kill members of the class Insecta. In common usage, any substance used for preventing, destroying, repelling or controlling insects. Larvicide 1063 Pesticide 1210 Strictly, a substance intended to kill pests. In common usage, any substance used for controlling, preventing, or destroying animal, microbiological or plant pests.