The evaluation of health risks frompolluted environment draws particular attention to important specific pollutants, which is demanding technically and financially. Benzene is one of them. There are three important sources of hydrocarbons (including also benzene) in the area of Bratislava – the Slovnaft refinery, gasoline stations for automotive fuels, and the automobile traffic in the city. The areas of these sources as well as the measuring point observing the background served for the measurement of benzene concentrations. The measurement was made be means of sampling into tubes filled with the Chromosorb 106 sorbent and analyzed by thermal desorption with subsequent determination by gas chromatography -mass spectrometry. It became obvious that the concentrations in the neighborhood of Slovnaft probably do not exceed 5
g/m3, the concentrations directly in the area of gas stations highly exceeded this limit and the limit is presumably exceeded at busy intersections as well. The background station concentration of benzene were around the hygienic limit. It is possible that the health risk for the employees of the gasoline stations may be significant in spite of the fact that the hygienic standard is observed according to valid regulations. The risk for living quarters related to the Slovnaft production may be considered as low. The risk from the automotive traffic, even though the limits are observed, may not be neglected at the present time and, especially, in view of the growing trend of benzene concentrations from this source in the are of Bratislava.

        Key words: benzene – pollutants in atmosphere – health risks – thermal desorption