Diesel fumes pose cancer risk

Sunday, February 20, 2011 by: Emma Martinez
Tags: diesel fumes, cancer, health news

(NewsTarget) On February 4th International Union Against Cancer Day, the World Health Organisation reported that cancer will kill 84 million people by 2015. Of the deadly cancers lung cancer is the leading killer, and smoking is known to be the single most important factor in the development of this disease. Environmental pollution also plays a role in the development of cancers, particularly ordinary traffic pollution largely made up of carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter from diesel fumes.

One of the first studies to link traffic pollution with lung cancer and heart diseases was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2002, based on a 16 year study of 500,000 individuals. This study, headed by the environmental science expert C. Arden Pope, was just one in a long line proving the link between cancer risk and traffic pollution, and this prompted the Environmental Protection agency to limit the fine particulate matter in the air (soot measuring 2.5 microns) to 15 micrograms- per -cubic meter.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer declared diesel fumes to be a class 2A carcinogen in 1989, which means they probably are carcinogenic to humans. In 2005 the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) estimated that diesel fumes are responsible for the death of approximately 21,000 U.S. citizens each year. Diesel fumes are made up of a complex mix of chemicals in the form of soot and gas. How these chemicals interact with one another during combustion can turn them into potentially cancerous agents.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are formed when burning diesel fuel, and it is these which are classed as probable carcinogens. When the nitrogen dioxide fumes mix with the PAHs they can become highly carcinogenic nitro-PAHs.

Diesel fuel is not the only source of PAHs; they are also formed in char-grilling or barbecuing meat, smoking tobacco, burning garbage and burning coal, oil and gas.

A study out of Spain in July 2007 concluded that living in a city of more than 100,000 for more than 40 years was associated with an increased risk in the development of bladder cancer .

Another study out of Canada in 2008 found an increased risk of developing Non Hodgkin's lymphoma in people who work regularly with diesel combustion engines, namely farmers and machinists. Non Hodgkin's lymphoma is one of the blood cancers which is on the rise.

One natural food that can help the body eliminate pollution is chlorella. Chlorella is a powerful antioxidant and detoxifier, and it is particularly helpful for smokers or those subjected to chronic pollution, such as city dwellers. Zeolite is another powerful detoxifier but one should be careful to only choose the cliniptilolite form, which can be taken in odorless drops.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/newssearch2....

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/287/9/1132....

http://oem.bmj.com/content/65/1/56.abstract

http://www.ehjournal.net/content/7/1/44

http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/07/15/us...

https://www.naturalnews.com/030030_chlorella_...

About the author

Emma is an accomplished classical guitarist living in Southern Spain with her daughter. She is the author of Flamenco-All You Wanted To Know. She now focuses on disease prevention thru nutrition and life-style, including the
mind-body-spirit connection.