Air pollution may increase cases of brain cancer

The air you’re breathing could one day lead to cancer. And not just lung cancer.  A new study shows that people living in areas with high amounts of air pollution can also go on to develop brain cancer later in life.

Scientists from Canada revealed that nanoparticles in polluted air can travel to the brain carrying cancer-causing chemicals and over time lead to the growth of cancerous tumours.

Nanoparticles are the tiny particles released into the air by vehicular exhaust engines and fuel burning. Measuring between one and 100 nanometres, they are around 700 to 70,000 times thinner than the average human hair.

The scientists say methods to monitor the presence of nanoparticles do not exist in most places in the world. This is the first time that such a direct connection to brain cancer has been made.

In the study, the medical records of 1.9 million adult Canadians living in Toronto and Montreal from 1991 to 2016 were analysed. It was found that people living in areas with pollution levels of 50,000/cm3 had a 50% higher risk of brain cancer than those living with 15,000/cm3.

“A one-year increase in pollution exposure of 10,000 nanoparticles per cubic centimetre–the approximate difference between quiet and busy city streets–increased the risk of brain cancer by more than 10%,” reported The Guardian on Wednesday.

The authors of the study have urged other scientists across the globe to replicate this study so a definitive link can be established.

The WHO has already sounded the alarm bells over air pollution, calling it a “silent public health emergency” and terming it responsible for 4.2 million deaths worldwide every year. Around 90% of the world’s population already live in areas which exceed the WHO’s guidelines for safe air.

Lahore has been plagued by high levels of air pollution in recent years, with levels getting worse in the past few months.

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Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/news/2019/11/air-pollution-may-increase-cases-of-brain-cancer/