Exposure to air pollution has been linked to increased breast cancer risk and reduced survival. While common traffic-related carcinogens such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ultrafine particles are the most well studied, a variety of other types of air pollution have also been linked.
Exposure to the following airborne carcinogens has been reported to increase breast cancer risk: benzene, benzoApyrene (BaP), cigarette smoke, heavy metals such as cadmium, indoor cooking fumes, NO2, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), particulate matter ≤ PM2.5 or PM10 microns in diameter, propylene dichloride, synthetic fireplace log smoke, and trichloroethylene. The harmful effects of exposure appear to be both additive and synergistic. Now a new study has linked carcinogenic air pollutants to breast cancer risk in rural Arkansas.

Latest research finds BC link in rural Arkansas

The case-control study referenced above was designed to investigate possible links between air pollution exposure and breast cancer risk in rural Arkansas. Participants included 574 breast cancer cases and 2,295 cancer-free controls from the Arkansas Rural Community Health study that were matched according to age and race. Exposures to air pollutants were estimated using 12 census-tract level hazardous air pollution data from the 2005 National Air Toxics Assessment.
The authors found significantly increased breast cancer risk for moderate PAH and high chromium exposures. Detailed analysis indicated that chromium, propylene dichloride, and polychlorinated biphenyls had the greatest contributions to increased breast cancer risk. Further analysis demonstrated that women with a family history of breast cancer appeared to be more susceptible to PAH exposure.
The authors conclude that they found significant associations between specific hazardous air pollutants, particularly PAHs and chromium, in a rural population. "This highlights the need for targeted public health interventions and regulatory efforts to mitigate exposure in medically underserved areas," according to the authors.
Please click on our air pollution tag for more information.