Minimization of Exposure to Chemical Carcinogens: A Sound New Paradigm for Cancer Risk Reduction

Minimization of Exposure to Chemical Carcinogens:  A Sound New Paradigm for Cancer Risk Reduction

Donald L. Hassig, Director, Cancer Action NY; 315.262.2456; donaldhassig@gmail.com; https://preventcancernow.wordpress.com

In the past, government regulatory and public health agencies have addressed public concerns about the cancer risk imposed by exposure to chemical carcinogens by producing quantitative cancer risk assessments for individual substances and in a few instances groups of similar substances.  Quantitative cancer risk assessments describe the quantity of cancer risk imposed by exposure to a certain carcinogenic substance or group of similar substances.  These quantitative cancer risk assessments are made available to the public on government websites, including the website of the US Environmental Protection Agency, which includes such information organized as part of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS).  Availability on government websites has not translated into any significant degree of public awareness of the growing body of scientific knowledge, which supports the conclusion that chemical carcinogen exposure is a major contributor to cancer causation.  The existence of the quantitative cancer risk assessments on government websites creates the impression that government is carefully utilizing scientific knowledge for the purpose of protecting public health against exposures to chemical carcinogens that would impose more than an acceptable quantity of cancer risk.  This is a misleading impression.  Believing that government is using scientific knowledge to protect the public from exposures to chemical carcinogens that impose more than acceptable quantities of cancer risk is a mistake.  Members of the public who make this mistake fail to think carefully about minimizing their exposure to chemical carcinogens.  They believe that their own mental effort is not necessary because the government is taking care of this.

People are exposed to many chemical carcinogens on a frequent and regular basis.  Daily exposure is a reasonable way to think about this exposure.  Chemical carcinogens are present in the air, water and food supply.  The daily quantity of exposure to each different chemical carcinogen adds to a daily total of exposure for all of the chemical carcinogens, which have entered the body.  Total daily carcinogen exposure is what determines the quantity of cancer risk, which exists for the exposed individual.  The total cancer risk imposed is substantially greater than the risk imposed by exposure to any one of the chemical carcinogens to which one has been exposed.  It is highly probable that total cancer risk is greater than the sum of the cancer risks of the numerous carcinogenic substances to which a person has been exposed in a particular day.  This is because synergies exist that multiply cancer risk of multiple exposures.  For the average person, total daily cancer risk is of a magnitude that is unacceptable and leads to the high cancer incidence observed in the United States and other industrialized nations.

Existing scientific knowledge can be utilized to reduce cancer risk.  Government risk managers must take actions to minimize the release of chemical carcinogens into the environment, to motivate responsible parties to clean up contaminated sites and to protect the food supply from avoidable sources of contamination.  Government public health educators must set a considerable amount of pollutant carcinogen exposure reduction information before the public.  This information must include statements such as found below.

Exposure to chemical carcinogens is a major contributor to cancer causation.

Chemical carcinogens are present as contaminants of air, water and food.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), carcinogenic metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) constitute major groups of significant pollutant carcinogens.

POPs are contaminants of animal fat and for most POPs animal fat consumption is the major route of intake.

POPs are contaminants of the sediments of certain bodies of water and are also contaminants of certain waste sites.

Choosing not to reside in close proximity to POPs contaminated areas will minimize respiratory exposure to POPs.

Carcinogenic metals and VOCs are air pollutants.

Choosing not to reside in close proximity to industrial air pollution sources will minimize respiratory exposure to these substances.

Benzene and formaldehyde are VOCs that are present in the emission created by combustion of hydrocarbon fuels.

Avoiding breathing the concentrated emission cloud of machines that combust hydrocarbon fuels  will minimize respiratory exposure to benzene and formaldehyde.

Minimizing hydrocarbon fuel combustion will reduce the presence of pollutant carcinogens in the environment.

Minimizing combustion of wastes will reduce the presence of pollutant carcinogens in the environment.

In the production of manufactured goods, replacing carcinogens with non-carcinogenic substitutes will reduce the presence of pollutant carcinogens in the environment.

Exposure avoidance actions motivated by knowledge of what is presented above will reduce exposure, thereby reducing risk.  Government public health agencies exist to fulfill the mandate of protecting public health against the harm imposed by known health hazards.  It is the responsibility of all government public health entities to provide pollutant carcinogen exposure reduction education to the general public.