I hope this doesnt come as a shock or a stretch to anyone, but if you can smell it you have most certainly inhaled it. if you inhale something it crosses into the bloodstream fairly easily, gases usually the easiest to cross permeable membranes in the lungs. Vapor benzene being a gas mixed with atmopsheric air.
Benzene being (im pretty sure about this - think i heard it in undergrad) known to the state of california to be a carcinogen, id want to limit it being in my bloodstream. Blood, marrow, or immune cells (very commonly found in the bloodstream) exhibiting cancer or undifferentiated growth is known as leukemia in a simple understanding, i dont know if id argue it being a stretch. (to whoever mentioned that before)
However, i have handled my share of benzene and other very volatile and insidious chemicals and solvents and have yet to be formally diagnosed with a cancer or growth.
Do it think the dose makes the poison? most likely, but there are plenty of people that can never have exposure to real carcinogens and still end up with cancer.
Case in point; in the realm of medicine, and heath care, it is widely understood that if males live long enough, they will eventually develop prostate cancer - i dont know of ANYONE rubbing benzene or toluene on their perineum, or inhaling tobacco smoke into their ass, yet they develop prostate cancer anyway.
This post I wrote simply is to illustrate different points to think on. I am not attacking anyone in any way. if you feel i have singled you out I only used your statement to illustrate a point of somewhat common knowledge that may appear to be true upon face value, but should be examined a little closer, if at least for food for thought. You guys brought up intelligent discussion on something I DO actually like to discuss - i just never expected such to be found here.