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Does Your Car Have Cancer-Causing Benzene?!

Claim : Your Car Is Killing You With Cancer-Causing Benzene!

This message keep going viral on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, claiming that our cars are full of cancer-causing benzene! It’s really long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

😳🔴C A U T I O N🔴😳

🚙 🚘 🚗 🚖 🚕
🔈 This msg from Dr Syed Badar Husain, renowned neurologist in Atlanta:

Plz circulate🔜

🔈To Each AC Car user,Now this is very interesting & MUST READ , as it’s for HEALTH !…Car’s manual says to roll down the windows to let out all the hot air before turning on the A/C. WHY ?

No wonder more folks are dying from cancer than ever before. We wonder where this stuff comes from, but here is an example that explains a lot of the cancer-causing incidents.

🚘Many people are in their cars the first thing in the morning, and the last thing at night, 7 days a week.

Please do NOT turn on A/C as soon as you enter the car.

🚕Open the windows after you enter your car and then after a couple of minutes, turn ON the AC .

🚗Here’s why: According to research, the car’s dashboard, seats, a/c ducts, in fact ALL of the plastic objects in your vehicle, emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin. A BIG CARCINOGEN. Take the time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car when you open it, and BEFORE you start it up.

🚕In addition to causing cancer, Benzene poisons your bones, causes anaemia and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure can cause Leukemia and increases the risk of some cancers. It can also cause miscarriages in pregnant women.

🚖The “acceptable” Benzene level indoors is: 50mg per sq.ft.

A car parked indoors, with windows closed, will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene – 8 times the acceptable level.

🚙If parked outdoors in the sun, at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level.

🚗People who get into the car, keeping the windows closed, will eventually INHALE excessive amounts of the BENZENE toxin.

🚕Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidneys and liver. What’s worse, it is extremely difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.

🚘So friends, please open the windows and doors of your car – give it some time for the interior to air out
-(dispel the deadly stuff) – before you enter the vehicle.

📱Thought: ‘When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you should share it with others… It’s a moral obligation… Please circulate 🔜 🚘🚗🚕

Show less

Truth : Your Car Is Not Killing You With Benzene!

This appears to be yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and here are the reasons why!

Fact #1 : This Is Very Old Fake News

First, I should point out that this isn’t a new viral message. This message first appeared in chain letters sent by email sometime in 2009. It then migrated to social media platforms and instant messengers over time.

Fact #2 : No Evidence Dr. Badar Wrote It

There appears to be a neurologist called Dr. Badar Husain Syed, but he is based in Snellville, Georgia, not Atlanta; and he specialises in Sleep Medicine. There is no evidence Dr. Syed ever wrote that viral message.

Fact #3 : Benzene Has Been Linked With Cancer

Benzene is a colourless, volatile chemical with a sweet odour, that is commonly used in many industries. It is found in everything from plastics to lubricants, rubbers, cigarettes, detergents, drugs, pesticides, and even petrol / gasoline.

Studies have shown that exposure to high levels of benzene is associated with increased risk of developing leukaemia. However, it does not appear to be associated with other types of cancer.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies benzene as “carcinogenic to humans”. The US EPA also classifies benzene as “a known human carcinogen”.

Fact #4 : American Cancer Society Called It Fake

In 2011, the American Cancer Society (ACS) addressed the viral message, and called it fake news.

We found no published studies that confirm the claims of this e-mail. Benzene levels that exceed recommendations for chronic workplace exposure have been observed in some moving cars, but these levels seem unlikely in properly maintained cars.

Fact #5 : 2007 German Study Disproved Claim

In 2007, the American Chemical Society published a German study called “Toxicity of Parked Motor Vehicle Indoor Air“, which looked at “the health effects of emissions from vehicles exposed to “parked in sunshine” conditions“.

The researchers exposed a new car, as well as a 3 year-old car with identical interior to 14,000 watts of light, and then analysed their indoor air. They found that both cars produced different kinds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs):

Vehicle Age	Major VOCs
New Car	o,m,p-xylenes, C3 and C4-alkylbenzenes, dodecane, tridecane, methylpyrrolidinone
3 yo Car	acetone, methylpyrrolidinone, methylcyclohexane, acetaldehyde, o,m,p-xylenes, ethylhexanol, toluene

Interestingly, the study did not find any significant amount of benzene inside both cars, despite subjecting them to intense levels of light and heat.

The study also found that the indoor air of both cars do not pose apparent health hazards. The amounts of VOCs present in the indoor air collected also did not appear to pose any carcinogenic risk.

No toxicity was observed in any cell line with or without metabolic activation. Neither did we find an effect on type IV sensitization or an irritative potential.

A slight but statistically significant aggravating effect on IgE-mediated immune response of only the new vehicle indoor air was determined (p < 0.05). The IgE-response modulating effect of indoor air might be relevant for atopic individuals.

Else no direct toxicity, no toxicity after metabolic activation by cytochrome P450, and no irritative or type IV sensitizing potential of motor vehicle indoor air were found, neither from the new nor used vehicle. Our investigations indicated no apparent health hazard of parked motor vehicle indoor air.

Recommended : Higher RON Octane Rating Myth Debunked!

Fact #6 : Biggest Benzene Risk Are From Other Causes

Benzene is so commonly used in many products that it is simply impossible to avoid exposure completely. But your car’s indoor air is really the least of your worries, if at all.

Workplace exposure to benzene is a major risk, which is why benzene exposure is heavily regulated at the workplace. Even so, workers in the rubber industry, oil-related industries (including refineries and petrol stations), chemical plants, shoe manufacturers, steel workers, lab technicians and firefighters have increased exposure to benzene.

Outside of the workplace, people are most exposed to benzene from vehicle exhaust fumes, fumes and wastewater from nearby factories, petrol stations, etc. Many people are also exposed to benzene from smoking cigarettes, or second-hand smoke.

To limit your exposure to benzene, American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends doing the following:

Stay away from cigarette smoke. If you are person who smokes, try to quit. It’s also important to avoid secondhand smoke. Cigarette smoke is a major source of benzene exposure.

Pump gas carefully and use gas stations with vapor recovery systems that capture the fumes. Avoid skin contact with gasoline.

When possible, limit the time you spend near idling car engines. This can help lower your exposure to exhaust fumes, which contain benzene (as well as other potentially harmful chemicals).

Use common sense around any chemicals that might contain benzene. Limit or avoid exposure to fumes from solvents, paints, and art supplies, especially in unventilated spaces.

If you are exposed to benzene at your workplace, talk to your employer about limiting your exposure through process changes (such as replacing the benzene with another solvent or enclosing the benzene source) or by using personal protective equipment. If needed, you can also contact the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), which can provide more information or assistance.

Notice how the ACS did not mention driving with your car windows down? Or “flushing” the air inside your car before driving? That’s because there is simply no evidence that there is significant amounts of benzene inside your car.

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Did Sushmita Sen Get Heart Attack From Vaccine?!

Claim : Sushmita Sen Suffered Heart Attack From COVID-19 Vaccine!

After Sushmita Sen revealed that she almost died from a heart attack, people immediately claimed that the Bollywood actress suffered from a COVID-19 vaccine injury!

Steve Kirsch : She’s vaccine injured. Big heart is telltale sign.

Wishing the lovely Sushmita Sen well.
But is she vaxed? Is there a link to the Covid vax and this alarming high rate of young ppl suffering attacks?
A few yrs back it was Puneeth Rajkumar!
#SushmitaSen

And ohso…………………..”suddenly” 💔😪 *Bollywood*
Sushmita Sen reveals she suffered heart attack a few days ago, underwent angioplasty

Truth : Sushmita Sen Did Not Get Heart Attack From Vaccine!

It’s now tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all celebrity deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Sushmita Sen Survived Her Heart Attack

Sushmita Sen (born 19 November 1975) is an Indian actress and model who rose to fame after she won the Miss Universe 1994. She then went on to star in many movies as an actress, winning awards along the way.

On 2 March, 2023, Sushmita Sen revealed on Instagram and Facebook that she suffered a heart attack a few days earlier, and survived.

She had angioplasty done, and a stent inserted. She also suggested that her cardiologist confirmed that she had an enlarged heart – cardiomegaly.

“Keep your heart happy & courageous, and it’ll stand by you when you need it the most Shona” 🤗👏❤️ (Wise words by my father @sensubir ) 😍

I suffered a heart attack a couple of days back…Angioplasty done…stent in place…and most importantly, my cardiologist reconfirmed ‘I do have a big heart’ 😉😄❤️

Lots of people to thank for their timely aid & constructive action…will do so in another post! 🤗❤️🙏

This post is just to keep you (my well wishers & loved ones) informed of the good news …that all is well & I am ready for some life again!!! 😇😁🤗❤️🎶💋

I love you guys beyond!!!! #godisgreat #duggadugga 🤗❤️🙏

In a live chat session later, Sushmita Sen told her fans that she is fine after her angioplasty, but shared that 95% of one of her main coronary arteries was blocked“.

She also thanked everyone around her for their quick and prompt action that saved her life when she suffered her heart attack, naming most of them individually. She said she wrote down their names to ensure she did not miss any of them.

She also addressed social media comments about whether physical exercise actually helped people with their health at all.

I know a lot of you will stop going to the gym and say, ‘see, going to the gym did not help her.’ But that is not good. It did help me. I survived a very, very big heart attack.

It was a massive heart attack, with 95 % blockage in one of my main artery. I survived because I kept an active lifestyle. I am very lucky to be on the other side. It doesn’t put fear in me, instead, I now have a feeling of promise to look forward to something.

Fact #2 : Sushmita Sen Has Long History Of Smoking

While Sushmita Sen is a fitness icon, she also has a long history of smoking. In fact, she is often seen smoking in public.

Smoking and vaping are one of the biggest risk factors in developing heart disease, as Dr Mohit Tandon, Consultant Non Invasive Cardiologist at the Fortis Escorts Hospital in New Delhi explained:

Smoking and vaping have emerged as one of the strongest risk factors in increasing the incidence of heart attacks in the younger demographic, be it men and women.

If you smoke one pack of cigarettes per day, it can more than double the risk of you having a heart attack. And if you think vaping is less harmful, you will be astonished to know that vaping can increase the risk of heart attacks by 34 per cent. E cigarettes contain nicotine which increases heart rate and BP.

Then there is substance abuse which increases the risk of heart-related deaths in the young due to decreased blood supply to the heart or arrhythmias. These continue to be stressors even if you have a regulated fitness routine.

Fact #3 : Sushmita Sen Has Addison’s Disease

Sushmita Sen was diagnosed with Addison’s disease in 2014, an autoimmune disease where the adrenal glands cannot produce enough of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. She has been dependent on steroids ever since.

Patients with Addison disease have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, especially if they are women. A Swedish study published in June 2019 showed that women with Addison’s disease had significantly higher risk of developing ischaemic heart disease (IHD), but not men. The risk of cardiovascular disease increased with greater steroid doses used to treat Addison’s disease.

The risk of IHD but not CeVD is increased in AAD, especially in women. The risk of CVD independently correlated with greater glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid replacement doses in women. Our data suggest that close monitoring and early treatment of risk factors for CVD, among women in particular, might be warranted.

Although relatively rare, patients with Addison’s disease can also develop dilated cardiomyopathy, causing the heart to enlarge (cardiomegaly).

Fact #4 : Unknown If Sushmita Sen Was Vaccinated Against COVID-19

It is currently unknown if Sushmita Sen was vaccinated against COVID-19, as she never publicly mentioned her vaccination status.

She may not even be vaccinated, as the COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory in India.

Until and unless she reveals her COVID-19 vaccination status, anyone who claims that Sushmita Sen was vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine is likely lying to you.

Fact #5 : COVID-19 Vaccines Cannot Cause Heart Attacks

Just in case there is any doubt, COVID-19 vaccines cannot cause a heart attack. But neither can COVID-19 vaccines prevent people from getting heart attacks, or dying from them.

An acute myocardial infarction (AMI), or a heart attack, occurs when blood supply to the heart muscle is abruptly cut off, usually due to a blockage of one or more coronary arteries.

That’s why Sushmita Sen underwent angioplasty and had a stent inserted – because at least one of her coronary artery was 95% blocked by atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis not only takes years to develop, there is no evidence COVID-19 vaccines can possibly cause arteriosclerosis.

Heart attacks are also very common. People have had heart attacks long before COVID-19 vaccines were invented.

Fact #6 : Claims Of Celebrities Injured By COVID-19 Vaccine Proven False

So far, claims of sudden deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false at every instance. Here is the latest dozen of other false sudden death claims!

Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next celebrity tragedy…