Textile Dyes Containing Benzidine Can Cause Bladder Cancer

There are a group of textile dyes that can cause bladder cancer in people who worked with or around the dyes years ago. These textile dyes are known as benzidine dyes.

Like other textile dyes, benzidine dyes usually came to the work place in dye powder form and were then mixed into a liquid dye solution. Some of the most widely used benzidine dyes were known by these generic (common) names: Direct Black 38, Direct Brown 95, Direct Blue 6, and Acid Red 85. Hundreds of benzidine dyes in many assorted colors were used for dyeing textiles, dyeing paper, and dyeing leather. Each of the dye manufacturers used their own trade names for their version of a particular color, with the result being that there were numerous trade names for the many different benzidine dyes which were used by American workers over the years.

The United States government estimates that more than 80,000 workers have been exposed to benzidine dyes, primarily in the textile industry, paper industry, and leather industry. Due to their chemical properties, benzidine dyes easily entered the body through inhalation (breathing), skin absorption, or ingestion (by mouth). One could have been exposed on the job by breathing the dye dust from the dye powders or getting his skin stained by a liquid dye solution.

Read more about benzidine on our Benzidine Information Page