Environmental Pollution And Its Effects on Health and Nature

Cancer 'hot spots' in Florida may be associated with hazardous waste sites: Researchers find 'mild association' between cancer rates, Superfund sites -- ScienceDaily : " "We reviewed adult cancer rates in Florida from 1986 to 2010," said Emily Leary, Ph.D., assistant professor at the MU School of Medicine and co-author of the study. "Our goal was to determine if there were differences or associations regarding cancer incidence in counties that contain Superfund sites compared to counties that do not. We found the rate of cancer incidence increased by more than 6 percent in counties with Superfund sites."

Pollution in the Huai River and the cancer village of Huangmengying in Henan, China | EJAtlas : "In 2013, researchers from China Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDCP) confirmed a correlation between heavily polluted water and higher incidences of cancer in the Huai River watershed in eastern China. The Huai River is one of China’s major river systems with coverage of 274,700 square kilometres in Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces, watering much of China’s commercial grain crops. During the 1980s, polluting factories such as food processing factories, paper mills and tanneries were set up along the riverbank of both the Huai River and its tributaries, causing severe pollution to the nearby villages. Since 1990s, a large number of cancer villages have been found in the Huai River watershed, among which, the village of Huangengying is one of the first widely known cases.

Air Pollution Causes Non-Lung Cancer Deaths - Heal Naturally : Medical researchers have known for awhile that air pollution can cause conditions related to the lungs . These include asthma, allergies and even lung cancer. But few imagined that breathing air polluted air might cause other types of cancer. Yes, we are talking breast cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, intestinal cancers and others.

It is wrong to assume that wood smoke is harmless . Smoke from wood stoves, fireplaces, burn fires and so on form a major part in air pollution problems. This is because wood smoke contains particles and gases that have the potential of causing serious health problems when they are breathed. These gases contain toxic chemicals that can irritate the respiratory track and may even cause cancer. In environments where wood is burned, they are bound to be higher levels of indoor smoke and more environmental pollutants in form of particles and gases. Also, smoke from wood stoves can seep into houses where wood stoves are not used.

Air pollution, health and cancer – a new report calls for action - Cancer Research UK - Science blog :  "How strong is the link with cancer? Over the past decades evidence that air pollution is linked to a range of cancers has been mounting. In 2013, a group of international experts, working on behalf of the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), looked at the results of all of the research and concluded that air pollution causes cancer in humans – in particular, lung cancer.

Benzene is a colorless , flammable liquid with a sweet odor. It evaporates quickly when exposed to air. Benzene is formed from natural processes, such as volcanoes and forest fires, but most exposure to benzene results from human activities. The most important source of exposure to  benzene is mainstream smoke from cigarettes , which accounts for about 50% of population burden of exposure. It is also used mainly as a starting material in making other chemicals, including plastics, lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides. In the past it was also commonly used as an industrial solvent (a substance that can dissolve or extract other substances) and as a gasoline additive, but these uses have been greatly reduced in recent decades . Environmental tobacco smoke or secondhand smoke is an important source, accounting for about 5% of total nationwide exposure.

The prostate gland, which develops in human males when they are fetuses, is to a great degree sensitive to estrogen. Thus, scientists have long ago speculated that prostate cancer could increase in men as a result of their interactions with estrogen-like chemicals in the womb. Unlike other cancer-causing chemicals that can bring about significant harm to DNA, Bisphenol-A or BPAappears to exact unobtrusive changes that are passed from one generation ontothe next.

Ovarian cancer is a kind of cancer that can start in either or both of the ovaries. The cancerous cells duplicate rapidly and shape a tumor on the outside of the ovaries, inside the egg-producing cells, or inside hormone-creating cells. This kind of cancer is hard to distinguish until the cancer has begun spreading into the belly region. Despite the fact that medications are accessible, survival rates is genuinely low particularly if the cancer was analyzed late.This unsettling reality does not need to be the standard. Ladies ought to instruct themselves on the dangers, the side effects, and how to avert or analyze the cancer early. Early location is vital for a successful treatment and conceivable cure.

What Air Pollution Does to Eyes and Vision : " Air pollution , no doubt, has had numerous health impacts on humans, but when it comes to air pollution in relation to eyes and vision, there seems to be a gap. This phenomenon has not been studied in depth in the way that perhaps pollution in relation to our pulmonary system has, but there is evidence to suggest that pollution is hurting our eyes. Our eyes are incredibly exposed and sensitive. If you’ve ever had the misfortune of getting dust or sand in your eyes (which everyone is likely to have experienced at least once), then you know the irritation and discomfort involved. Though pollution is a little sneakier than dust and sand, it can have an equal or worse effect on our eyes in the long run.

WHO | About second hand smoke : "The original Surgeon General's report, followed by this first "hazard" warning on cigarette packages, the subsequent "danger" warning on cigarette packages, the removal of cigarette advertising from television and the inclusion of the "danger" warning in cigarette advertising, were all "blows" of sorts for the tobacco industry. They were, however, blows that the cigarette industry could successfully weather because they were all directed against the smoker himself. The anti-smoking forces' latest tack, however - on the passive smoking issue - is quite a different matter.... Nearly six out of ten believe that smoking is hazardous to the nonsmokers' health, up sharply over the last four years. More than two-thirds of nonsmokers believe it; nearly half of all smokers believe it.