Air Pollution and Cancer

Air pollution is a recognized factor in the development of a number of human disease, including lung cancer. Air pollution is not one element but is composed of both particulate matter and gases including carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Sources can be both naturally occurring events such as fires and volcanic eruptions as well as anthropogenic causes such as the burning of biomass and fossil fuels. Air pollution has been rated as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Like many processes that work slowly over time to cause disease, it has taken a while to fully grasp the health risks associated with these invisible toxins. The good news is that many of the adverse effects of exposure to PM2.5 particles is the fact that many avenues to control exposure are available and dovetail with efforts to curb anthropogenic global warming. The close relationship between exposure to high levels of pollution in the air and health iniquities make it essential that health professionals be aware of how air pollution adversely affects human well-being and that they help pressure legislators and business leaders to continue to work on a cleaner and safer environments.