The chemical benzene has been a known carcinogen for decades. Exposure to it has been linked to leukemia and other life-threatening blood disorders.
Despite this, benzene is still in the top 20 industrial chemicals used every day in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Employees in certain industries are at particular risk of exposure, including oil workers, firefighters, gas station attendants, shoemakers, rubber workers, and even those who work behind desks in an office.