A scientific study published yesterday has found particulate matter significantly contributes to lung cancer in Europe.
The 12 year study covered 313,000 people across 9 European nations. Particulate matter (PM) consists of airborne droplets of liquid and gas, primarily generated from road traffic but also from the burning of fossil fuels. Particulate matter with a diameter of less than 10μm (PM10), less than 2·5μm (PM2·5), and between 2·5 μm and 10μm (PMcoarse) was monitored.
The scientists revealed that an increase in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 5 μg/m3 raised the risk of lung cancer 22% and 18% respectively. These findings are much higher than previous studies.
An increase in road traffic of 4000 vehicle-km per day raised the risk of cancer 9%.
Previous research investigating the link between coal mining and lung cancer undertaken by the University of West Virginia found the incidence of lung cancer was higher in areas of heavy coal mining.
The findings of the report are particularly pertinent given the renaissance of coal combustion in Europe in recent years.
Just this week Reuters reported that air pollution from burning coal had shaved 5.5 years off life expectancy in Northern China.
According to the World Health Organisation 2 million people die each year as a result of air pollution. We hope that today’s scientific report will reinforce the need for emerging economies to enforce more stringent air quality laws.
