Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I'm doing a science project on the prevention of leukemia and upon researching on the metabolism of benzene in the bloodstream (since high levels of benzene can lead to leukemia), I thought of a question that was puzzling to me:

Is there a drug/substance that can't break apart benzene (C6H6), but instead, engulfs it until it is released through urination or defecation(pooping)?

Thanks
-K

Hi K,

The metabolism of benzene would make a very interesting project due to its status as a well known carcinogen. I'm wondering if you have thought of ways that would be accessible for you to test your hypothesis?

Your idea about engulfing benzene brings me to think of creating a nanoparticle or micelle that would adsorb benzene. I've seen several publications where benzene has been removed from water sources or wastewater this way, so it may be possible to apply that same idea to a project focusing on benzene in the bloodstream.

However, I think it's also important to focus on how you would test for the removal of benzene. Would you want to focus on removal of benzene from an aqueous solution to simulate the bloodstream? If so, then how would you probe whether or not the benzene has been removed. Benzene absorbs light at a wavelength that could be detected by a UV/Vis spectrophotometer, which may be a good way to test for its presence if you have access to a lab that has one of these instruments.

Let me know what your thoughts are and we can talk more in depth about how to design a successful experiment.

Erin