Is the Air We Breathe Giving Us Cancer?

Benzene, 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde and diesel particulate matter. These are the airborne assassins.
According to a combined study funded by Houston Endowment who funded the study in response to reports of poor air quality, and released by Rice University, an immediate action to lower the ambient concentrations of the four hazardous air pollutants is desperately needed.

The level of air toxins concentration in the Houston area poses a dangerously high risk of cancer and other health problems to the residents, said the chief investigator, Matt Fraser. The ultimate goal of the report is the adoption of enforceable ambient air quality standards for which only one more person in a million would be expected to develop cancer from a lifetime of exposure to individual hazardous air pollutants.The report estimates that if one million people were exposed to the current level over their lifetime, between 50 and 1,000 would contract cancer.

He added that observed concentrations of 1,3-butadiene and diesel PM have approached a level indicating a risk greater than one additional cancer death per 10,000 people during a lifetime of exposure.
Benzene and 1,3-butadiene are products of petrochemical present in motor exhaust, its exposure leads to an increased risk of cancer, leukeumia as well as noncarcinogenic effects which includes decreased blood cell counts.Formaldehyde is a gas formed through atmospheric chemical reactions and also emitted from various sources. Inhalation causes degenerative effects and nasal tumors in laboratory animals and similar risks are anticipated in humans. Diesel particulate matter originates from widespread sources, including vehicles, engines and generators. A high concentration in the air we breathe will put us again at high risk of cancer.

What are the consequences? World Health organization data indicate that about 240,000 people die each year from respiratory causes in United States. Globally, some 7.7 million people die from respiratory causes. It is a clear and present danger.

Findings in the journal Science published that clear sky visibility over land has decreased globally over the past 30 years. This is again indicative of increases in aerosols and airborne pollution which also corelates with climate changes. Aerosols are solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in air. They include soot, dust and sulphur dioxide particles. Aerosols come from combustion of fossil fuels, industrial processes, and biomass burning of tropical rainforests. They are hazardous to both human human and the environment.

Try running your finger over your car after taking a trip in a congested traffic. You would not want those soot lining the walls of your lungs.Long term exposure to ground-level ozone, a major component of smog is associated with an increased risk of death from respiratory.

Is this just an unnecessary and overrated health scare? Apparently, there are strong parallels between this and the asbestos situation of the 1970s. In the 1970s, the US government stepped in to ban asbestos related products in America. However, much before this, the hazards of asbestos were researched and documented. They were comfirmed a health hazard since the 1930s. However, as the asbestos companies were unwilling to lose their source of revenue, they tried to cover up their acts at every stage of the investigation. This was possible in part due to the fact that most of the asbestos related diseases have a very long latency period sometimes, even up to 40 years.The companies used this to their advantage to maxmise their profits before the situation turns against them. At every stage, the asbestos companies tried to cover up their acts. They tried to bribe officials and threaten researchers to give up all studies on the hazards of asbestos. In spite of all this, several civic minded medical professionals and research organizations brought out the reports highlighting the terrible health problems caused by exposure to asbestos.

It was only in the 1970s action was taken to reduce asbestos exposure. In 1973, it was stated that spray-on asbestos insulation is an air pollution hazard. Then, the EPA banned spray-on asbestos insulation. Further, in the end of 1970s, information began to surface that asbestos companies and industrialists covered up the hazards of asbestos and suppressed valuable information. The power of commerce ruled over civic reasons. With so much smog caused by petrochemicals we cannot help but notice similarities.

Our lungs are moist layers of tissues somewhat like a wet sponge, soaking up whatever we breathe in. With all these pollutants in the air, what are the chances of not filling up our lungs with these harmful chemicals? Apart from wearing 'gas mask', the odds are much against us. We have little chance of not taking in all these harmful chemical pollutants.

Our only defense will be to flush out all the contaminants that we breathe in before it forms poisonous deposits throughout the various thousands of tissues all through our body, which will certainly over time cause sickness and diseases. This can be achieved by harnessing nature's protective agents and using selective tried and tested combination, put them to good use. An inexpensive, safe and effective method that will save us before we succumb to the poison in the air. One way is to increase the amount of oxygen intake.

Author has written many articles on health and nutrition. His area of passion is in alternative medicine and medical breakthroughs. Having seen good friends suffer because of years of neglect and now living a life of regrets, he is constantly on the lookout for ways to help them dig themselves out of the rut. http://www.interlinkmerchants.com/diabetes2.html