A DANGEROUS chemical that has been banned in several countries can still be found in dozens of products used by millions of Americans every day. The health warning comes after several brands of generic Mucinex pain reliever medicine were tested for unsafe levels of a potential carcinogen called benzene. Benzene is known to lead to the development of blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma but is still used in the production of plastics, synthetic fibers, rubber, and various other chemicals.
It has also been used to make medicinal elements — an ingredient called a carbomer in this case — that help medicines become long-acting agents. Several countries have phased out the use of benzene in products consumed by people due to its connection to cancer. Benzene is highly regulated by the European Chemicals Agency, but the US Food and Drug Administration has yet to enact strict limitations on safe levels of the carcinogen in American products.
Read more about carcinogen Mucinex-brand versions of the medicine, sold by British pharmaceutical giant Reckitt Benckiser Group, are made with carbomer that does not include benzene, according to a report . Because substituting a benzene-free carbomer costs more than using the old favorite, several companies have yet to make the switch — including the biggest retailers in the US, according to a report. But the generic versions of Mucinex with the benzene carcinogen are still sold at Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, and dozens of other n.