(the image "Smog a New York" from wikipedia)

by

Joseph

The air we breathe may cause cancer, a scientific panel says. According to a recently published report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), air contains carcinogenic pollutants that put the public at risk for lung cancer.

The report is based on an analysis of 1000 studies spanning five continents. Scientists with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) carefully reviewed the findings of studies that included millions of people in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia before arriving at the conclusion that air pollution is carcinogenic. 

Scientific evidence points to air pollution as the culprit behind a variety of cancers including blood, digestive, urogenital, respiratory, female and skin cancer.

Interestingly, according to the IARC lung cancer risk increases with greater exposure to carcinogenic air pollutants produced by transportation waste, stationary power generators, industrial and agricultural emissions, as well as heating and cooking sources.

This shouldn't come as a surprise considering that developed nations produce many of the pollutants that have become linked to lung cancer thus giving the results of the WHO study even greater weight.

In speaking on air pollution and cancer, IARC Director Dr Christopher Wild said: “There are effective ways to reduce air pollution and, given the scale of the exposure affecting people worldwide, this report should send a strong signal to the international community to take action without further delay."

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Article References

World Health Organization Press Release 

Raaschou-Nielsen O, Bak H, Sørensen M, Jensen SS, Ketzel M, Hvidberg M, Schnohr P, Tjønneland A, Overvad K, & Loft S (2010). Air pollution from traffic and risk for lung cancer in three Danish cohorts. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, 19 (5), 1284-91 PMID: 20447920

Grant WB (2009). Air pollution in relation to U.S. cancer mortality rates: an ecological study; likely role of carbonaceous aerosols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Anticancer research, 29 (9), 3537-45 PMID: 19667146

"The Air You Breathe May Give You Cancer" copyright © 2013 Living Fit, Healthy and Happy_(SM). All Rights Reserved.

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