ABSTRACT
Benzene, which was discovered early in the nineteenth century, came into heavy use in Europe around 1870-1880 as a solvent for rubber used to make tires for bicycles and automobiles. The process involved dissolving rubber latex in benzene, pouring the solution into molds, and allowing the benzene to evaporate, thereby leaving the formed tire. The workers recognized the smell of benzene, which at low concentrations was aromatic and not necessarily unpleasant, without realizing the inherent dangers in exposure to the solvent.
