Where does benzene come from?

Benzene comes mainly from petroleum. It has been used in, or used to manufacture, a wide variety of chemical products, including DDT (dichloro-diphenyl- trichloroethane), detergents, insecticides and motor fuels. Used as a substitute for lead, benzene now makes up 1 to 2 percent of every gallon of gasoline and it is released as a by-product of fuel combustion.

Benzene is also produced in the burning of tobacco, and is one of the nearly 4,000 chemicals found in tobacco smoke. The once widespread use of benzene as a solvent in paints, adhesives, and paint removers has decreased in recent years.