Air Pollution and Cancer
Many lifestyle changes can be made to help prevent cancer. But exposure to air pollution is a risk factor beyond your control.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than two billion pounds of toxic chemicals, including known and suspected cancer-causing chemicals - are released into the air each year from petrochemical facilities, power plants, incinerators and other industrial facilities.
Emissions from the petrochemical facilities in the Houston-Galveston area include more than 2 million pounds of carcinogens such as benzene. Breathing polluted air may seem harmless. The damage caused by toxins, particulate matter and ozone takes time.
Exposure to air pollutants can start a series of changes that eventually upset the body's natural regulation of cell growth. When cell growth is out of control, transformation of a normal cell occurs in stages. It may take many years before the normal cell becomes a cancerous cell. For example, a person exposed to asbestos in their 30s may not be diagnosed with lung cancer until they are in their 60s.
To help reduce air pollution, find ways to drive less and find alternatives to petrochemical products such as plastics. Let your elected representatives know that you are concerned about the health effects of air pollution.