Pooled analysis of human data on benzene
Benzene causes certain types of leukaemia in humans and good data exists to show that exposure levels in excess of current workplace and environmental levels constitute a risk. The information on the nature of the risk (if any) at current exposures is, however, lacking. Recently, a study was published by the Australian Institute of Petroleum which sought to describe the nature of risks at low exposures. But whilst this study has many strengths, it has been recognised to also have several limitations. The petroleum industry, through CONCAWE evaluated how the information within the Australian study might be pooled with other similar studies in order to help provide an indication of the nature of risks from current exposures. APA is committed to assisting the petroleum industry in its objectives by co-funding this work.
A preliminary report, commissioned from the Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh and the University of Utrecht showed that it is feasible to pool the three epidemiological studies, from Canada, the U.K. and in Australia.

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