Benzene

Camp LeJeune Lawsuit Attorneys: “Camp LeJeune Veterans and Families May Finally Get Justice in Court”

June 9, 2022 | Shawn Collins

Camp-lejeune-service-members-graduate-college-300x221 Update, July 2022: After being passed in the House and Senate, the Honoring Our PACT Act was expected to go to President Biden’s desk for his signature, but it is currently being blocked in the Senate by Mitch McConnell and the Republicans.

After years of denials by the government, Camp LeJeune veterans and their families–who were exposed to cancer-causing toxins on the military base–may be on the brink of getting their day in court.

In a long-overdue action, the House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 3967, the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (Honoring Our PACT Act), a broad bipartisan bill that addresses the needs of veterans subjected to toxic exposure. Yesterday, on June 16, 2022, the Senate passed an amended version of the Act. Importantly for Camp LeJeune veterans, this bill includes the Camp LeJeune Justice Act of 2022.

Procter & Gamble Recalls Dry Shampoos and Conditioners, Its Second Recall in Months

January 8, 2022 | Margaret Collins

Pantene-300x225 Procter & Gamble has issued a voluntary product recall of more than 30 aerosol spray dry shampoos and dry conditioners, warning that the products could contain benzene, a cancer-causing chemical linked to leukemia.

Benzene has been classified as a “known human carcinogen” by the EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer based on sufficient evidence that it causes leukemia. It has also been linked to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

The recall includes aerosol spray products from Pantene, Herbal Essences, Aussie, and Waterless, in addition to several discontinued aerosol dry shampoo products from Old Spice and Hair Food. The products are being recalled by Procter &Gamble after benzene was detected in some products.

Burning Incense Can Release Toxic Chemicals and Harm Your Health

September 7, 2021 | Margaret Collins

incense-1961430_1920-300x200
Incense is chic again.

You have only to see all the photos of burning incense and crystals on Instagram to know that young people are following this trend. Some companies are even marketing incense as being good for your health. And while it’s true that burning incense can make your house or office smell like a calming spa; is it really a good idea? Not necessarily according to researchers.

Recent studies published in the journal Nature have revealed some surprising health risks linked to burning incense indoors which may make you reconsider using incense to create a calming, patchouli-scented environment. Here are some of the harmful health effects linked to incense burning:

Benzene Leak at Ford’s Flat Rock Plant Prompts Evacuations

September 5, 2021 | Shawn Collins

ford-2691853_1920-1-300x209 Recent news reports have revealed that a benzene leak at Ford’s Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan has contaminated the sewers in a 4-square-mile—and possibly larger—area of the city. As a result of the benzene leak, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is recommending that residents who live in the area bounded by I-75 to the east, Gibraltar Road to the north, Cahill Road to the west, and Woodruff Road south, evacuate until further notice. Initially, 10 homes and one school were evacuated, but now, because it is unclear which homes may be at risk, the MDHHS is recommending that the entire neighborhood evacuate.

Why Should Residents Evacuate?

Residents may be at risk of exposure to high levels of benzene, a volatile organic compound (VOC), which can be harmful to human health. Measurements of air in buildings and sewer lines have shown that VOC levels exceed health-protective and explosive levels.

Johnson & Johnson Recalls Tainted Sunscreen

July 23, 2021 | Margaret Collins

Sunscreen-300x240 Johnson & Johnson is recalling all lots of five NEUTROGENA and AVEENO sunscreens due to internal testing which found low levels of benzene in some samples of the products. The recalled sunscreen products are packaged in aerosol cans and were sold nationwide. Consumers should stop using the products and follow the instructions below.

The sunscreens affected by the recall are the following aerosol products:

NEUTROGENA Beach Defense aerosol sunscreen,

Carcinogenic Benzene Found in Popular Sunscreens

July 21, 2021 | The Collins Law Firm, P.C.

Benzene-in-sunscreens Summer is here, along with beach days, afternoons at the neighborhood pool, tropical vacations, and lathering up in sunscreen. As you head out into the summer sun, however, it might be worth doing some research before grabbing any old bottle of sunscreen off the shelf. A new report has found benzene, a chemical that is known to cause cancer, in 78 sunscreen and after-sun products.

Independent Testing Found Benzene in 27% of Sunscreens

Valisure, a pharmacy that performs its own independent tests on various products, recently tested almost 300 different sunscreens in an effort to find a “clean” sunscreen. Of those 300 sunscreens, 78 (or 27%) tested positive for benzene; some even containing triple the FDA’s limit of 2 parts per million. As a result, Valisure is asking for a recall of the contaminated batches.

The Government’s Failure at Camp Lejeune

May 5, 2020 | The Collins Law Firm, P.C.

Camp-Lejeune Update, July 2022: The House and Senate recently passed the Honoring Our PACT Act, which will allow veterans and their families to recover damages for illnesses caused by toxic water at Camp Lejeune by filing an FTCA claim, and if that claim is denied, by filing a toxic tort lawsuit in North Carolina. The Bill was expected to go to President Biden’s desk for his signature, but it is currently being blocked in the Senate by Mitch McConnell and the Republicans.

A United States Marine Corps base in Onslow County, North Carolina was the site of “the worst example of water contamination this country has ever seen.” Camp Lejeune is the second largest Marine base in the United States. Marines and their families lived on base for short periods of time learning necessary skills, since it was an amphibious training base. Then, they would leave to be stationed elsewhere. Little did they know that they were being exposed to toxic water in their temporary homes.

From the 1950s through the 1980s, people living or working at Camp Lejeune were exposed to contaminated drinking water from multiple sites on base. For instance, prior to 1986, water coming from two treatment plants—Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point—contained volatile organic compounds. The contamination primarily included perchloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), dichloroethylene (DCE), vinyl chloride, and benzene. Throughout the base, the drinking water contained toxic chemicals at levels 240 to 3,400 times higher than what safety standards permit.

Breast Cancer Awareness: Know the Risk Factors and Take Action

October 29, 2019 | Margaret Galka

breast-cancer-1-3-300x215 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual health campaign that raises awareness and support for the 1 in 8 women in the United States that will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Bringing awareness to this disease is important because breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Sadly, on average a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer every 2 minutes. Breast cancer also impacts men, though it is rare.

Breast cancer treatment and chances for survival can vary greatly depending on the type of breast cancer and when it is diagnosed. As the more than 3.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States today are well-aware, treatment may include surgery to remove the cancer (lumpectomy), to remove lymph nodes, or even to remove the breast entirely (mastectomy). Breast cancer treatment also frequently involves some combination of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy drug therapy, and immunotherapy.

Although death rates have decreased since 1989, nearly 42,000 women in the United States are expected to die in 2019 from breast cancer. The decrease in death rates is believed to be the result of advances in treatment and research, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness of the disease and its risk factors.