The Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA, in the first updated assessment of the
nationwide health risk estimates for air toxics since 1996, reports that people who live in large cities have a 25 in a
million greater chance of developing cancer than the general population. The lifetime cancer risk in transportation
corridors and some other locations is greater than 50 in a million. Benzene is the most significant air toxic for which cancer risk could
be estimated, contributing 25 percent of the average individual cancer risk identified in the EPA assessment. In
addition, the EPA concluded that diesel exhaust is among the substances that poses the greatest relative risk. Which
all helps to explain why, even though smoking is said to be the leading cause of lung cancer, many people who do not
smoke cigarettes are diagnosed with lung cancer.Note: The contents of this blog are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or substitute for professional care. For medical emergencies, dial 911!
Air pollution for urban dwellers a high cancer risk
The Environmental Protection Agency,
EPA, in the first updated assessment of the
nationwide health risk estimates for air toxics since 1996, reports that people who live in large cities have a 25 in a
million greater chance of developing cancer than the general population. The lifetime cancer risk in transportation
corridors and some other locations is greater than 50 in a million. Benzene is the most significant air toxic for which cancer risk could
be estimated, contributing 25 percent of the average individual cancer risk identified in the EPA assessment. In
addition, the EPA concluded that diesel exhaust is among the substances that poses the greatest relative risk. Which
all helps to explain why, even though smoking is said to be the leading cause of lung cancer, many people who do not
smoke cigarettes are diagnosed with lung cancer.
