Exposure to air pollution for long periods raises the chances of developing both lung cancer and heart disease, according to a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The 16-year study, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, found that air pollution was as dangerous as breathing secondhand smoke or being moderately overweight.
Although this information may not come as a surprise to anyone, this is the first long-term study to show direct effects.
What is Air Pollution?
Gases from vehicle exhaust and industrial smokestacks combine with oxygen in the air to form small particles that are then inhaled. Over time, these particles damage the lungs and circulatory system. The more polluting particles present in the air-the greater the health risks.
500,000 People Were Studied
The data for this study was collected by the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study II, which has tracked the health of more than a million people since 1982. The pollution study followed 500,000 people in more than 100 cities from 1982 until 1998. Lung cancer and heart disease can take decades to develop, so this time frame allowed ample time for differences in disease rates to be measured. Lung cancer rates increased most rapidly as pollution increased, with heart disease close behind. It has been estimated that between 50,000 and 100,000 Americans die each year from the effects of outdoor particulate air pollution.
Safe Levels
This study found that no level of air pollution was safe. And as air pollution increased, so did the death rates for lung cancer, heart disease, and all causes.
The Bottom Line
Air pollution rates have dropped over the past 30 years, but many cities are still well above Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. Every reduction in air pollution will likely lower death rates.
Resource: Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 287, No. 9:1132-1141. |
