WHO Confirms: Air pollution causes cancer
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialized cancer agency of World Health Organization (WHO), recently classified outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans.
After reviewing the scientific literature on the subject, the IARC Monographs Program concluded that there was sufficient evidence that exposure to outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer. It also noted that the likelihood of bladder cancer was spurred by air pollution. The IARC also investigated the effect of particulate matter in air separately. The IARC classified it separately as carcinogenic to humans. IARC has noted that this evaluation is based on the review of more than 1,000 scientific papers from studies on five continents, taking into account the carcinogenicity of various pollutants in outdoor air pollution, especially particulate matter and transport-related pollution.
Air pollution is already a major factor for several health problems such as respiratory problems and heart diseases. In recent years, exposure levels have increased especially in rapidly industrializing countries with large populations, such as China and India. Even recently, heavy smog was reported from the city of Harbin in northeastern China. It is estimated that air pollution was responsible for 223,000 deaths worldwide through lung cancer in 2010.
Head of the Monograph Program at IARC Dr. Kurt Straif stated that the air we breathe has become polluted with a mixture of cancer causing substances. “We now know that outdoor air pollution is not only a major risk to health in general, but also a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths.”
In June 2012, the IARC had classified exhaust fumes from diesel engines to be carcinogenic to humans. This is of special concern to South Asia as well since the number of diesel vehicles in the region is increasing at a rapid rate. Diesel fumes, especially resulting from the burning of substandard diesel, has become the major source of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter in the region.
The IARC Monographs Programme has been dubbed as the “encyclopedia of carcinogens.” It provides an authoritative source of scientific evidence on cancer-causing substances and exposures. The IARC list of Group 1 set of carcinogens contains substances, mixtures and exposure circumstances with sufficient evidence of cancer-causing ability (carcinogenicity) in humans. This list now exceeds 100, and includes well known elements such as tobacco smoking, arsenic, asbestos, formaldehyde and ultraviolet rays in sunlight.
Source: The Nation
Published: 27 Oct 2013
Category: Top Story
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