Eliminating Toxic Substances

Eliminating Toxic Substances GMHC manage this page

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/air-pollution-impact-on-brain-lack-of-focus_uk_67a470c9e4b084327f3fee45Air Pollut...
06/02/2025

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/air-pollution-impact-on-brain-lack-of-focus_uk_67a470c9e4b084327f3fee45

Air Pollution Could Be Altering Your Ability To Do This Common Task
If you experience brain fog regularly, this study might be of interest.
By Natasha Hinde
06/02/2025 10:00am GMT


Photo by Joshua Rawson-Harris on Unsplash
Air pollution could be impacting your ability to do normal daily tasks such as the food shop.
Being exposed to air pollution – even for a short period of time – can make focusing on tasks much harder, a new study has suggested.
Scientists discovered that even brief exposure to high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) may impair a person’s ability to focus on tasks, avoid distractions, and behave in a socially acceptable manner.
Researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Manchester, which conducted the study, suggested such exposure can have “immediate negative effects”, making everyday activities such as the weekly supermarket shop more challenging.
It’s not the first time pollution has been linked to poor brain health.
According to the Environmental Health Sciences Centre, multiple studies have linked air pollution, especially traffic-related fumes, to increased risk of neuro degenerative disease, such as dementia.
It has also been linked to multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.
What did the study involve?
Researchers exposed study participants to either high levels of air pollution (using candle smoke) or clean air, and tested cognitive abilities before and four hours after exposure.
The tests measured working memory, selective attention, emotion recognition, psychomotor speed, and sustained attention.
Selective attention and emotion recognition were negatively affected by air pollution – regardless of whether subjects breathed normally or only through their mouths.
It’s hard to know why this happens, but the authors suggest that inflammation caused by pollution may be responsible.
Interestingly, while selective attention and emotion recognition were affected, working memory was not.
They said this indicates that some brain functions are more resilient to short-term pollution exposure.
Co-author Professor Francis Pope, from the University of Birmingham, said poor air quality “undermines intellectual development and worker productivity”.
“Reduced productivity impacts economic growth, further highlighting the urgent need for stricter air quality regulations and public health measures to combat the harmful effects of pollution on brain health, particularly in highly polluted urban areas,” he added.
The study’s authors said more research is needed to understand the pathways through which air pollution affects brain functions and to explore the long-term impacts, especially on vulnerable populations like children and older adults.
Globally, air pollution is the leading environmental risk factor to human health.
In 2015, some 4.2 million deaths were attributed to PM2.5, a type of fine particulate matter in the air.

If you experience brain fog regularly, this study might be of interest.

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/air-pollution-brain-impact-health-b2693229.htmlStudy reveals alarming ...
06/02/2025

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/air-pollution-brain-impact-health-b2693229.html

Study reveals alarming impact of even brief exposure to air pollution on our brains
Air pollution can impair cognitive functions like interpreting emotions, focusing on tasks and engaging appropriately in social situations
Stuti Mishra
Thursday 06 February 2025 10:00 GMT
Comments

Related: Delhi’s worsening air pollution leaves sufferers across the city

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet
[ ]I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy
Even brief exposure to air pollution can affect our brain’s ability to make decisions and focus on work, a new study has found.
While the respiratory and cardiovascular impacts of air pollution are well documented, the study found that even short-term exposure to high levels of air pollution can impair cognitive functions needed for daily activities.
These functions include interpreting emotions, focusing on tasks and engaging appropriately in social situations, according to the study published in Nature Communications on Thursday.
"Our study provides compelling evidence that even short-term exposure to particulate matter can have immediate negative effects on brain functions essential for daily activities such as doing the weekly supermarket shop," said Dr Thomas Faherty, a researcher at the University of Birmingham who co-authored the study.
The researchers exposed participants to either high levels of air pollution, simulated using candle smoke, or to clean air. They assessed cognitive performance both before exposure and four hours afterwards, focusing on tasks that measured working memory, selective attention, emotion recognition, psychomotor speed, and sustained attention.
While working memory remained unaffected, selective attention and emotion recognition showed significant declines after exposure to polluted air.
These impairments occurred regardless of whether participants breathed through their mouths or noses, suggesting that inhalation route had little impact on the cognitive effects.
"Poor air quality undermines intellectual development and worker productivity, with significant societal and economic implications in a high-tech world reliant on cognitive excellence," said professor Francis Pope, another co-author of the study from the University of Birmingham.
"Reduced productivity impacts economic growth, further highlighting the urgent need for stricter air quality regulations and public health measures to combat the harmful effects of pollution on brain health, particularly in highly polluted urban areas."
The researchers believe that inflammation triggered by exposure to particulate matter, which is found in all polluted urban areas, may be responsible for these cognitive deficits.
Our brains are just as vulnerable to environmental toxins as our lungs, and it's time public health policies reflect that reality.
Dr Thomas Faherty, study co-author from the University of Birmingham
This could explain why some brain functions, like working memory, appear more resilient to short-term pollution exposure while others, such as attention and emotion recognition, are more vulnerable.
Selective attention is key for decision-making and goal-oriented behaviour – like navigating a grocery store, focusing on a shopping list while ignoring distractions. Emotion recognition helps individuals interpret social cues, guiding appropriate responses in interpersonal interactions.
"This study shows the importance of understanding the impacts of air pollution on cognitive function and the need to study the influences of different sources of pollution on brain health, particularly in vulnerable older members of society,” said professor Gordon McFiggans from the University of Manchester.
Globally, air pollution is the leading environmental risk factor for human health, linked to premature mortality and a range of diseases.
PM2.5, the fine particulate matter most harmful to health, was associated with 4.2 million deaths in 2015 alone, according to the World Health Organization.
The WHO recommends that 24-hour PM2.5 exposure limits should not exceed 15 micrograms per cubic metre, with an annual limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. However, more polluted cities like Delhi have seen levels go up to 249 micrograms per cubic metre.
The researchers say there’s a need for further studies to explore how different pollution sources affect cognitive functions, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.
They are also calling for investigations into protective measures that could reduce these effects and protect people living in polluted cities.
"Air pollution is not just a respiratory or cardiovascular issue; it's a cognitive one," said Dr Faherty.
"Our brains are just as vulnerable to environmental toxins as our lungs, and it's time public health policies reflect that reality."

Air pollution can impair cognitive functions like interpreting emotions, focusing on tasks and engaging appropriately in social situations

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/over-100-deaths-a-day-un-warns-of-air-pollutions-toll-on-young-children-in-east-asia-p...
06/02/2025

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/over-100-deaths-a-day-un-warns-of-air-pollutions-toll-on-young-children-in-east-asia-pacific

Over 100 deaths a day: UN warns of air pollution’s toll on young children in East Asia, Pacific

More than 500 million children live in East Asian and Pacific countries with unhealthy levels of pollution.PHOTO: EPA-EFE

David Fogarty






SINGAPORE – More than 100 children under the age of five die each day in East Asia and the Pacific from air pollution-related causes, said Unicef on Feb 6, in a call for urgent action to cut deadly emissions, toughen air quality standards and improve health systems.
The toll translates to nearly 40,000 deaths annually among children under five in the two regions.
The United Nations Children’s Fund said more than 500 million children live in East Asian and Pacific countries that have unhealthy levels of pollution, with exposure to toxic air outside and inside the home. That exposure can start even before they are born, leading to lifelong health complications.
Household air pollution is especially dangerous. Fuels used for cooking and heating, such as wood and dried dung, are linked to more than half of all air pollution-related deaths in children under five.
But steps can be taken to combat the crisis, Unicef said in its report, Growing Up In The Haze, which is an advocacy brief to nudge governments to act.
“Air pollution is a silent threat, but everyone has a role in making its impact visible and taking action,” said Mr Samuel Treglown, Unicef’s regional climate and sustainable environment consultant.
Thailand has been suffering from hazardous air pollution, exacerbated by farmers burning crops and air pollution peaking in many parts of the region during the dry season until April.
ST Asian Insider: Malaysia Edition
Get exclusive insights into Malaysia in weekly round-up
[ ] Sign up
By signing up, I accept SPH Media's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy as amended from time to time.
[ ]
Yes, I would also like to receive SPH Media Group's
SPH Media Limited, its related corporations and affiliates as well as their agents and authorised service providers.
marketing and promotions.
“With air pollution levels in East Asia and the Pacific reaching dangerously high levels, this is a critical moment to sound the alarm,” Mr Treglown told The Straits Times.
The Unicef report focuses on 27 developing nations including China, Indonesia and the Philippines, and as far as Kiribati and Tuvalu in the Pacific. It analyses 2021 data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, a public body based at the University of Washington in Seattle.
“Analysing the data, the scale of the crisis became undeniable: Nearly one in four deaths of children under five in the region is linked to air pollution, making it the second-leading risk factor for child mortality after malnutrition (for children under five),” Mr Treglown said.
Globally, nearly 2,000 children die every day from health problems linked to air pollution, which is now the second-biggest risk factor for early death worldwide, according to a 2024 joint report by Unicef and the US-based non-profit organisation Health Effects Institute.
Exposure to air pollution contributed to the deaths of 8.1 million people of all ages – around 12 per cent of all fatalities – in 2021, according to the report.
China has the largest number of children at risk in East Asia and the Pacific, with nearly 300 million, Unicef said in its latest assessment.
More on this Topic
Surviving 3 days in Xi’an, one of China’s most polluted cities and home to a giant air purifierAir quality falls in parts of Bangkok; residents urged to take precautions
To reduce the threat from household air pollution in China, Unicef has introduced chimney ventilation, fans and air purifiers to cut exposure to pollutants. In Mongolia, traditional tents, or gers, are fitted with electric heaters, insulation and ventilation systems to replace coal stoves.
Apart from households, air pollution has many other sources, such as factories and power plants, emissions from transport as well as forest fires and agricultural burning. These emissions release toxic compounds such as carbon monoxide, nitrous dioxide and ozone.
Most dangerous are tiny airborne particles called PM2.5 that go deep inside the lungs and into the bloodstream.
PM2.5 particles measure less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, and prolonged exposure can cause severe illness and death.
More than 325 million children live in countries where the average annual PM2.5 level exceeded World Health Organisation guideline levels by over five times, Unicef said.

Thailand has been suffering from hazardous air pollution, exacerbated by farmers burning crops and air pollution peaking in many parts of the region during the dry season until April.PHOTO: REUTERS
Prolonged exposure to air pollution in children can cause a range of respiratory illnesses, delayed brain development, impaired immune response, diabetes and cancer. This leads to high health costs and, ultimately, lost productivity for societies.
“When children are sick, parents are forced to miss work to care for them or take them to the doctor, reducing household income and productivity,” Mr Treglown said.
But there are some positive signs of change, with daily deaths declining.
He said child deaths linked to air pollution in East Asia and the Pacific dropped by 78 per cent between 2000 and 2021. “This progress reflects improvements in air quality and child health interventions across the region over the last few decades,” he noted.

However, deaths in children under five linked to outdoor air pollution have declined at a slower rate of 54 per cent, highlighting the need to accelerate efforts to tackle air pollution, particularly from outdoor sources such as traffic, industry and waste burning.
In addition, deaths linked to outdoor pollution have risen to about 40 per cent, Unicef said.
Governments must strengthen environmental policies, transition to clean energy and enforce air quality standards, according to Mr Treglown. Businesses should also adopt cleaner technologies and practices, while the health sector must improve diagnosis and treatment.
Awareness is also key, and parents and educators can teach young people about the risks of air pollution, steps they can take to reduce the threat, and how to advocate for change.
Climate change remains a major threat, Mr Treglown noted.
“Air pollution and climate change are deeply connected – the same sources polluting the air children breathe are also fuelling the climate crisis,” he said.
“Reducing greenhouse emissions isn’t just about the planet – it’s about protecting children’s health now.”
• David Fogarty is deputy foreign editor at The Straits Times and senior climate writer. He also covers the environment, in areas ranging from biodiversity to plastic pollution.

More than 500 million children in these regions live in countries with unhealthy levels of pollution. Read more at straitstimes.com.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/06/air-pollution-affects-peoples-ability-to-focus-on-everyday-tasks-stu...
06/02/2025

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/06/air-pollution-affects-peoples-ability-to-focus-on-everyday-tasks-study-finds

Air pollution reduces people’s ability to focus on everyday tasks, study finds
Even brief exposure to particulate matter found to impede selective attention and emotional recognition
Olivia Lee
Thu 6 Feb 2025 11.27 GMT Last modified on Thu 6 Feb 2025 11.45 GMT
A person’s ability to focus on everyday tasks is affected by short-term exposure to air pollution, a study has found.
Researchers analysed data from cognitive tests completed by 26 participants before and after they were exposed either to high levels of particulate matter (PM) using smoke from a candle, or clean air for an hour.
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found that even brief exposure to high concentrations of PM affected participants’ selective attention and emotion recognition – regardless of whether they breathed normally or just through their mouth. This can affect an individual’s ability to concentrate on tasks, avoid distractions and behave in a socially appropriate way.
“Participants exposed to air pollution were not as good at avoiding the distracting information, said Dr Thomas Faherty of the University of Birmingham, a co-author of the study. “So that means in daily life, you could get more distracted by things. Supermarket shopping is a good example … it might mean that you get more distracted by impulse buys when you’re walking along supermarket aisles because you’re not able to focus on your task goals.”
The study also found that participants performed worse on cognitive tests evaluating emotional recognition after being exposed to PM air pollution.
“They were worse at perceiving whether a face was fearful or happy, and that might have implications for how we behave with other people,” Faherty said. “There are associative studies looking at short-term air pollution and incidents of things like violent crime, especially in US cities. So you could kind of tentatively link those things together, possibly saying that the reason for that might be some kind of emotional dysregulation.”
The study found that participants’ working memory was not affected, indicating that some brain functions are more resilient to short-term pollution exposure than others.
Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental risk factors to public health globally. The World Health Organization has estimated that outdoor air pollution causes about 4.2 million premature deaths a year worldwide.
Researchers say the findings of the study could have significant societal and economic implications, including for educational attainment and work productivity.
“The study was done on a clinically healthy adult population, which means that they were of good health and had no clinical respiratory or neurological problems … certain other groups might be more vulnerable to effects,” Faherty said.
“Everyone’s getting smarter as time goes on because we’ve eradicated things that kill us and also we have a lot better nutrition than we did even 20 years ago. You find that things like air pollution are more important as a kind of barrier to cognitive wellbeing or IQ … because everything else has kind of been eradicated.”
skip past newsletter promotion
Sign up to Down to Earth
Free weekly newsletter
The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential
Enter your email address
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
after newsletter promotion
The study is part of a larger project that will test the impact of different sources of pollutants, which researchers hope will help inform future policy and public health measures.
“The larger project … looks at different sources of pollutants, which are more common. So like cooking emissions and wood burning and car exhaust and cleaning products, to kind of tease out whether we can kind of push policy in a certain direction,” Faherty said.
“If we know that cleaning products are causing most of these issues that I’m describing, then we can kind of push on policy to fix the things that are wrong based on the source rather than what we can just measure in the air after the fact.”

Even brief exposure to particulate matter found to impede selective attention and emotional recognition

This is Prof A Wattersons latest very short ‘technical report’ published on Research Gate dealing with artificial turf t...
06/02/2025

This is Prof A Wattersons latest very short ‘technical report’ published on Research Gate dealing with artificial turf this time as well as and crumb rubber in pitches and playgrounds.

If anyone is involved in considering purchasing or recommending these alternative surfaces please read this and consider the environmental as well as the health impacts of them.
Copies of the report are publicly available and free and can be found on Research Gate at this web link.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388728289_Confronting_five_myths_and_related_misinformation_about_artificial_turf_and_crumb_rubber_use_in_GB_sports_pitches_and_playgrounds_the_public_health_environmental_and_circular_economy_arguments_for_cea
He has provided a summary, the key points of the report, what’s new and the contents. The report is relevant to all GB countries: that is England, Wales and Scotland.
For those of you in Scotland, there’s also a paragraph below that highlights the Scottish angle.
Confronting five myths and related misinformation about artificial turf and crumb rubber use in sports pitches and playgrounds in GB: the public health, environmental& circular economy arguments for ceasing their use in favour of less hazardous substitutes
February 2025
By Professor Andrew Watterson Faculty of Health Sciences & Sport, Stirling University, Scotland
[The Scottish angle. All the key points in the report apply to Scotland. The problems for those in Scotland now considering either purchasing new 3G pitches and playgrounds or buying new infills for use on existing pitches in sports centres and clubs are the same as those elsewhere in GB. The Scottish First Minister has nailed his colours firmly to the crumb rubber mast in 2024 and stated 3G pitches were vital. They are not. The failures upstream by the Scottish government, international bodies and Scottish sports bodies leaves those downstream with very difficult decisions. Sports Scotland has probably provided even less information on the issues than Sports England in the last 18 months. Nor has the Scottish Government apparently moved on at all in addressing microplastic pollution from infill in 3G pitches and play grounds in the last 18 months which is very regrettable.
Alternative infills to crumb rubber for sports pitches are already available. There may of course be teething problems with some new alternatives just as there were for 3G pitches. The University of St Andrews already has a non-3G sports pitch. Crumb rubber infills can be replaced in playgrounds and substitutes may be safer there as well as not producing the pollution problems crumb infill does. Scottish Government and suppliers have failed purchasers and users by not moving at the same pace as the EU on infill replacements by 2031 although Scotland does have some of the leading pitch recycling firms which is a plus. However, past purchasers of 3G pitches in Scotland often have no detailed idea about the full costs of disposing of 3G pitches at end of life or their recycling. This again is an upstream failure of government and sports bodies in Scotland to ensure those downstream are fully informed about the lifecycle costs and consequences of microplastics in sports field and playgrounds.]
In a nutshell
In the last eighteen months, upstream, neither GB Governments across all three nations, local councils nor sports organisations have moved significantly forward on addressing the public health, sustainability, pollution and circular economy threats presented by artificial turf and pitch and playground crumb rubber infills. Industry continues to market these products when alternatives are available. The full costs of artificial grass and crumb infills from extraction to disposal appear to remain hidden from those ‘downstream’ who have to decide on what surfaces and infills to purchase and use because of ‘upstream’ failures. The prescriptive nature of guidance on pitches from bodies like FIFA and World Rugby has compounded the problem.
What is new
The report provides some of the latest international research on the health, environment and sustainability issue surrounding artificial grass, crumb rubber use in sports and leisure sectors and microplastics. It uses evidence published since March 2024 to demolish the myths that:
- synthetic substances are necessary . Incorrect
- there are no acceptable alternatives . Incorrect
- they don’t provide public health, environmental & circular economy threats - incorrect
- they are economical when complete life cycle analyses are used - incorrect
- they give prestige and status to the provide and funder of 3G pitches and artificial grass
playgrounds - incorrect
Key points
The role of UK and devolved governments, international and national sports bodies and industry is explored to address the issue after the EU crumb rubber ban was announced some 18 months ago
• International bodies like FIFA and World Rugby and companies making and installing 3G pitches are major drivers leading the commissioning & construction of GB sports pitches and other commercial concerns have a similar role in playground construction. They shape the market for 3G pitches & artificial turf & de facto will limit the development & use of other infills & materials
• National GB sports bodies have often been guided by FIFA & other international sporting associations to accept the criteria for the specifications & certification of many types 3G pitches as a necessity. Other options are frequently viewed as inferior because of the criteria laid down. Perfection has been the enemy of the good
• UK-wide governmental agencies have, for various reasons, provided been unable to make full, detailed and new health, environment and sustainability assessments of end of use tyres in crumb and other sectors. This is because it appears at times there has been a lack of information provided by industry
• There is a continued wider failure on occasions for industry across Europe to supply safety data sheets allowing consumers to make fully informed decisions about all artificial turf & crumb rubber infill impacts on public health, environment, climate what to buy & where & alternatives
• GB governments have adopted an evangelical position on funding 3G pitches but not playgrounds. Hence they have subsidised a significant growth of 3G pitches and skewed the economic, environmental and public health arguments for using alternative materials including natural grass
• Costings of artificial turf and crumb rubber infill use from extraction of raw materials to disposal have been lacking. The lack of detailed comprehensive life cycle analyses has further skewed decision-making. Money has talked loudly and short term gains have frequently overridden the public health, environmental, sustainability cases over the middle and long term reasons for choosing other materials.
Summary of topics covered
Summary
INTRODUCTION
i. Issues and attitudes
ii The continuing problem of what to do with end of life tyres
iii Basic facts & figures on crumb rubber & artificial turf manufacture & use
iv The risk debate surrounding crumb rubber, artificial turf and alternatives
Myth One – crumb rubber and artificial turf on sports pitches and playgrounds are essential to public health
Myth Two – no acceptable alternatives to crumb rubber & artificial grass exist
Myth Three – crumb rubber & artificial grass present no threat to our environment
Myth Four – crumb rubber surfaces and artificial grass are ‘economical’
Myth Five – the number and spend on 3G pitches and artificial turf playgrounds can be an indicator of the standing of the provider: council, central government or sports body
Conclusions

PDF | Abstract In the last eighteen months neither GB Governments across all three nations, local councils nor sports organisations who are ‘upstream’... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/03/lung-cancer-never-smokers-rise-worldwide-air-pollutionLung cancer diagno...
04/02/2025

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/03/lung-cancer-never-smokers-rise-worldwide-air-pollution

Lung cancer diagnoses on the rise among never-smokers worldwide
Research shows need for further studies into air pollution and other causal factors, expert says
Andrew Gregory Health editor
Mon 3 Feb 2025 23.30 GMT Last modified on Tue 4 Feb 2025 07.19 GMT
The proportion of people being diagnosed with lung cancer who have never smoked is increasing, with air pollution an “important factor”, the World Health Organization’s cancer agency has said.
Lung cancer in people who have never smoked ci******es or to***co is now estimated to be the fifth highest cause of cancer deaths worldwide, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Lung cancer in never-smokers is also occurring almost exclusively as adenocarcinoma, which has become the most dominant of the four main subtypes of the disease in both men and women globally, the IARC said.
About 200,000 cases of adenocarcinoma were associated with exposure to air pollution in 2022, according to the IARC study published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal.
The largest burden of adenocarcinoma attributable to air pollution was found in east Asia, particularly China, the study found.
In an interview with the Guardian, the study’s lead author and head of the IARC’s cancer surveillance branch, Dr Freddie Bray, said the findings underscored the need for urgent monitoring of the changing risk of lung cancer.
Further studies to identify possible causal factors, such as air pollution, in populations where smoking was not considered the main cause of lung cancer were also required, he added.
“With declines in smoking prevalence – as seen in the UK and US – the proportion of lung cancers diagnosed among those who have never smoked tends to increase,” Bray said. “Whether the global proportion of adenocarcinomas attributable to ambient air pollution will increase depends on the relative success of future strategies to curtail to***co use and air pollution worldwide.”
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer incidence and mortality worldwide. In 2022, about 2.5 million people were diagnosed with the disease. But the patterns of incidence by subtype have changed dramatically in recent decades.
Of the four main subtypes of lung cancer (adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, small-cell carcinoma and large-cell carcinoma), adenocarcinoma has become the dominant subtype among both men and women, the IARC found.
Adenocarcinoma accounted for 45.6% of global lung cancer cases among men and 59.7% of global lung cancer cases among women in 2022. The respective figures were 39.0% and 57.1% in 2020.
Adenocarcinoma accounts for as much as 70% of lung cancer cases among never-smokers, the IARC said.
While lung cancer incidence rates for men have generally decreased in most countries during the past 40 years, rates among women have tended to continue to rise.
Current trends suggest that while men still make up most lung cancer cases (about 1.6 million in 2022), the gap between lung cancer incidences in males and females is narrowing, with about 900,000 women diagnosed with lung cancer in 2022.
In 2023, the Guardian revealed how the number of women diagnosed with lung cancer in the UK was overtaking men for the first time, prompting calls for women to be as vigilant about it as they are about breast cancer.
Cancer experts said the figures reflected historical differences in smoking prevalence, specifically that smoking rates peaked much earlier in men than women. Women should now be as alert to potential lung cancer signs as they were about checking for lumps in their breasts, they said.
Changes in cigarette manufacturing and smoking patterns in recent decades have influenced the trends in lung cancer incidence by subtype, and there is accumulating evidence of a causal link between air pollution and an increased risk of adenocarcinoma, the IARC said.
It is not known what proportion of global lung cancer cases are in never-smokers, only that evidence suggests it is rising. Scientists are racing to learn more about what else is causing lung cancer, beyond smoking.
“Air pollution can be considered an important factor that partly explains the emerging predominance of adenocarcinoma that accounts for 53% to 70% of cases of lung cancer among people who have never smoked worldwide,” the study reported.
Bray said the study provided important insights as to how both lung cancer and the underlying risk factors were evolving, “offering clues as to how we can optimally prevent lung cancer worldwide”.
He added: “Changes in smoking patterns and exposure to air pollution are among the main determinants of the changing risk profile of lung cancer incidence by subtype that we see today.
“The diverging trends by s*x in recent generations offer insights to cancer prevention specialists and policymakers seeking to develop and implement to***co and air pollution control strategies tailored to high-risk populations.”

Research shows need for further studies into air pollution and other causal factors, expert says

Address

Windrush Millenium Centre
Manchester
M167WD

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Eliminating Toxic Substances posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to Eliminating Toxic Substances:

Shortcuts

Share