Outdoor pollution causes cancer, says IARC

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialised agency of the World Health Organisation, announced that in its recently concluded Monographs Programmed experts have sufficient evidence that outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans. Particulate matter, a major component of outdoor air pollution, was evaluated separately and was also classified as carcinogenic. The predominant sources of the pollution are transportation, stationary power generation, industrial and agricultural emissions, and residential heating and cooking. Some pollutants have natural sources as well. Exposure to particulate matter and air pollution causes lung cancer. They also noted a positive association with an increased risk of bladder cancer. Air pollution is already known to increase risks for a wide range of diseases such as respiratory and heart diseases. Studies indicate that in recent years exposure levels had increased significantly in some parts of the world, particularly in rapidly industrialising countries with large populations. The most recent data indicate that in 2010, 223000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution. The IARC Monographs Programme, dubbed the “encyclopaedia of carcinogens,” provides an authoritative source of scientific evidence on cancer-causing substances and exposures. In the past, the Programme evaluated many individual chemicals and specific mixtures that occur in outdoor air pollution. These included diesel engine exhaust, solvents, metals, and dusts.