The Connection of Air Pollution to Lung Cancer
It is widely known that smoking increases your risk of lung cancer. That is not the only risk factor, however. Air pollution plays a role as well. A study by Oregon State University suggests reducing air-polluting PAHs may lower levels of lung cancer deaths.
Researchers reviewed a range of information from 136 countries, including average body mass index, gross domestic product per capita, the price of cigarettes, smoking rates, and the amount of PAHs emitted into the air. PAHs are a group of more than 100 chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic when inhaled or ingested. They most commonly come from vehicle exhaust and burning coal and wood.
“Analyzing data on a global scale revealed relationships between PAH emissions and smoking rates on the lung cancer death rates in each country,” said Staci Simonich, a co-author of the study and toxicologist at OSU. “Ultimately, the strength of the relationships was determined by the country’s socioeconomic status.”
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