| Advertisement |
(UPI) -- On Thursday, the World Health Organization added cancer to the list of the health risks caused by pollution in the air. Air pollution is now officially a carcinogen, the organization announced, with no caveats or uncertainties.
Advertisement
"We know that it is causing cancer in humans," said WHO spokesman Kurt Straif. Air pollution is the most widespread environmental carcinogen -- and the worst.
Lung cancer resulting from air pollution was the cause of death for 223,000 people worldwide in 2010 alone. WHO said the only way to prevent it is to clean up the air, because as pollution levels climb, so will the rate of cancer.
"We can't treat ourselves out of this cancer problem," said Chris Wild, who heads the WHO's cancer research wing, the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Cleaner air would also improve the statistics on other diseases. Pollution increases the risk of bladder cancer and contributes to heart disease and respiratory problems.
People living in developing countries are the most at risk, as they do not have pollution controls in place to match their growing manufacturing sectors.
"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 without further delay."
