Air Pollution Identified as One of the Leading Causes of Cancer

Air pollutants in the air that humans regularly breathe have been classified as a leading cause of cancer by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to BBC News Health.

The organization confirmed that air pollution comes from various sources, including car exhausts, power stations, emissions from agriculture and other types of industries and heating at home is clear cause for lung cancer, thus classifying it as a carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) which is a part of the World Health Organization now classed air pollution within the same ranks as tobacco smoke, UV radiation and plutonium. They said that air pollution had been a leading cause of heart and lung disease but now also shows evidence for causing lung cancer, according to CNN.

This classification was confirmed and decided upon by the agency after they reviewed the latest scientific writings and came to the conclusion that the evidence they found was more than enough. IARC Director Dr. Christopher Wild said that this confirmation of classification is an important step.

They also confirmed that people living in developing countries and with large populations and booming manufacturing industries are at a higher risk of exposure. "The predominant sources of outdoor air pollution are transportation, stationary power generation, industrial and agricultural emissions, and residential heating and cooking," the IARC said.

"There are effective ways to reduce air pollution and, given the scale of the exposure affecting people worldwide, this report should send a strong signal to the international community to take action without further delay", said Dr. Wild. IARC's most recent data suggested that 223,000 deaths due to lung cancer in all parts of the world were caused mainly by air pollution. More than half of these deaths were found in China and other countries in Southeast Asia.