Air Pollution 'Leading Cause of Cancer'

Outdoor air pollution is the leading cause of cancer, a World Health Organisation agency has revealed.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said that in 2010, 223,000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution, also pointing out there was also convincing evidence it increases the risk of bladder cancer.

Air pollution, mostly caused by transport, power generation, industrial or agricultural emissions, and residential heating and cooking, is already known to raise risks for a wide range of illnesses including respiratory and heart diseases.

Kurt Straif, of the IARC, said: "The air we breathe has become polluted with a mixture of cancer-causing substances.

"We now know that outdoor air pollution is not only a major risk to health in general, but also a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths."

Research suggests that in recent years exposure levels have risen significantly in some parts of the world - particularly countries with large populations going through rapid industrialisation such as China.

In a statement, IARC said both outdoor air pollution and "particulate matter" would not be classified among its Group One human carcinogens.

That puts them alongside more than 100 other known cancer-causing substances, including asbestos, plutonium, ultraviolet radiation and tobacco smoke.

IARC director Christopher Wild said the decision to classify outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic was an important step to alerting governments to its dangers and potential costs.

He said: "There are effective ways to reduce air pollution and, given the scale of the exposure affecting people worldwide, this report should send a strong signal to the international community to take action."

It comes after the head of the Vatican Museums warned he will be forced to limit the number of visitors to the Sistine Chapel if new air conditioning and purification systems does not significantly reduce pollution levels.

Antonio Paolucci said he was confident the new system, which is expected to be completed at the end of 2014, would curb the dust, humidity and carbon dioxide that is dulling Michelangelo's masterpiece.

:: The diagram above shows the model estimate of the average annual number of deaths per 1,000 square kilometres due to air pollution. Using the difference in pollution levels between 1850 and 2000, dark brown areas have more premature deaths, while blue areas experienced an improvement in air quality and a decline in premature deaths.