Cancer Causing Carcinogens are Plaguing the Environment

According to a new 240-page report by the President’s Cancer Panel, toxins that may lead to cancer are everywhere. The air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink is filled with toxic chemicals that are linked to numerous cancers, one way or another. The panel is asking the government to increase funding for research into this very serious matter. They also ask the President to use his power to enforce stricter standards that would remove these toxic chemicals from the environment.

There are more than 80,000 different chemicals found in various plastics, foods, exhausts, water and any other man-made product. Of those 80,000 chemicals, only a few hundred have been deemed safe. So, roughly 79,000 chemicals are inhaled or consumed by the human body everyday. The extensive report can leave a person feeling a little overwhelmed.

Although most researchers and scientists believe there is an environmental cancer risk, they believe that risk is around 6 percent. 6 percent of all cancers are a direct result of the environment. Members of the cancer panel believe that number is “grossly underestimated.” The panel states that babies are exposed to these dangerous toxins, even before they are born.

The American Cancer Society believes people should focus on known cancer causing factors like tobacco, alcohol, obesity and sexually transmitted diseases. It is estimated that one third of all cancers are directly related to obesity. The ACS believes tackling these absolute causes is more effective than worrying about all the possible causes that are basically unavoidable.