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We are underestimating the risk of exposure to everyday chemicals, says US cancer body

A leading US research body has said the range of confirmed or suspected carcinogens to which we are exposed on a daily basis is cause for serious concern, but UK campaign groups refuse to change their views

The link between exposure to everyday chemicals and cancer risk has been 'grossly underestimated' according to the National Cancer Institute in the US.

The Institute, which advises the US President, has previously focused on better-known causes of cancer such as diet and smoking.

However, its latest report, published this month, urges the US Administration to identify and eliminate environmental carcinogens from workplaces, schools and homes. It estimates there are nearly 80,000 'largely unregulated' chemicals on the market.

The report lists a variety of carcinogenic compounds that many people are regularly exposed to in their daily lives, including benzene and other petroleum-based pollutants in vehicle exhaust, arsenic in water supplies, chromium from plating, formaldehyde in kitchen cabinets and other plywood, bisphenol A in plastics and canned foods and tetrachloroethylene at dry cleaners.

It said bisphenol A (BPA) in particular had been linked to several diseases, including various cancers, but was still unregulated in the US and is found in many consumer products.

'With the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the unacceptable burden of cancer resulting from environmental and occupational exposures that could have been prevented through appropriate national action,' concluded the report.

UK campaign groups not convinced

UK cancer researchers said there was still a lack of evidence about most environmental risks.

'There is clear evidence that some things in our environment can cause cancer, including second-hand smoke, ultraviolet radiation, asbestos, radon gas and various industrial chemicals. But for many other potential risks, the evidence of the health harms in humans is still inconsistent,' said Ed Yong, head of health information at Cancer Research UK

'For example, the evidence that bisphenol A could affect the risk of breast cancer in humans is limited although studies in animals or cell cultures have raised some concerns.


Comment: 'the evidence that bisphenol A could affect the risk of breast cancer in humans is limited' ?

There is lots of evidence that environmental pollutants and chemicals like BPA can have serious effects on human health:

The Real Story Behind Bisphenol A
Bisphenol A: More Body Burden News
Hormone Experts Worried About Plastics, Chemicals
Bisphenol A (BPA) Found In Many Plastics May Cause Heart Disease In Women, Research Shows
Bisphenol A, Chemical Used to Make Plastic, Lingers in Body
Bisphenol A exposure dangerous for human heart and reproduction
Bisphenol A Linked to Metabolic Syndrome in Humans
Plastics chemical alters female brains - Research renews debate over the toxicity of bisphenol A, a plastics chemical found in humans.


Yong said until the evidence became clearer, Cancer Research UK would focus its efforts on promoting established ways of reducing the risk of cancer.


Comment: How much more evidence does Cancer Research UK need to promote ways on reducing the risk of cancer?

New Research Revealed: Environmentally Caused Cancers Are 'Grossly Underestimated'
New Alarm Bells About Chemicals and Cancer


Reference:

President's Cancer Panel report