The effect of benzene on hemoglobin structure and stability and heme prosthetic group integrity was studied.
Benzene has high hemolytic potential and altered both the globin and heme of hemoglobin and caused increasing met- and deoxy-Hb and decreasing oxy-Hb also oxygen affinity was decreased strongly.
Results showed that benzene has a high potential for penetrating the hydrophobic pocket of hemoglobin.
CWSFS results indicated that at least five heme-degraded species were produced.