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| Tue, 19th May 2020 14:09:00 |
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Climate change 'undermining progress in fight against cancer' |
Climate change is putting people at greater risk from deadly carcinogens while threatening their access to cancer treatment, according to a new study by public health experts.
Extreme weather events like hurricanes and wildfires are increasing in intensity and frequency due to climate change and in turn, release carcinogens into the atmosphere.
Hurricane Harvey battered Louisiana and Texas in 2017 with devastating impacts felt along the Gulf Coast and in the city of Houston. The category-4 storm inundated chemical plants, oil refineries, and Superfund sites that contained vast amounts of carcinogens that were released into the Houston community, the researchers found.
n 2018, an investigation by the Associated Press and Houston Chronicle found more than 100 toxic releases into surrounding communities related to Hurricane Harvey, on land, in water and in the air.
The increase of patients' exposure to carcinogens was compounded by the fact that the hurricane conditions made it difficult for patients to seek preventative care and treatment while also threatening the lab and clinical infrastructure that supports cancer care.
The study was published today in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians by researchers from the American Cancer Society and Harvard University. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death for Americans.
Wildfires are another risk. Global warming has led to longer wildfire seasons in the US that have spread over greater areas. Widespread burning releases vast amounts of air pollutants that are known to cause cancer, the study notes.
Lung cancer is associated with long-term exposure to particle pollution and wood-fire smoke but few studies have been conducted. It's unclear how short-term exposure to such smoke will affect people, AP reported.?
Tackling climate change will have both environmental and health benefits. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will not only be good for the planet but will reduce air pollutants emitted from combustion processes that are harmful to health, the study noted.
Read original full article
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