COMMON CARCINOGENS YOU SHOULD KNOW - A carcinogen is something that can cause you to have cancer. It may be a substance in the air, a product you use, or a chemical in foods and drinks. Your chance of getting sick depends on many things. How much you've been exposed to it is part of it. Your genes also play a role. It doesn't matter whether you're a smoker or breathing in someone else's smoke. At least 70 chemicals in tobacco are known to cause cancer by damaging your DNA. Radon gas occurs in small amounts in nature, where it's harmless. But if it builds up indoors and you breathe it in, radon breaks down the lining of your lungs. The tough, tiny fibers in asbestos help strengthen products like roof shingles, ceiling tiles, and car parts. Yet if these fibers break free and you breathe them in, they get lodged inside your lungs. When some vegetables, like potatoes, are heated to high temps, they give off a chemical called acrylamide. From plywood to some fabrics, formaldehyde is used in many household products. Most skin cancer cases are due to Ultraviolet rays. The more booze you drink, the greater your odds of getting certain kinds of cancers. Bacon, salami, pepperoni, sausage -- any meat that's been preserved or flavored raises your chances of getting colon cancer. Trucks, buses, trains, and even some cars run on diesel fuel. The gas and soot in diesel engine exhaust are believed to cause lung cancer and other types of cancer. Aside from exhaust, polluted outdoor air contains dust and traces of metals and solvents that can lead to cancer.

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Common Carcinogens You Should Know

WebMD Medical Reference

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

You've probably heard the word "carcinogen" pop up in news stories and wondered what that means for your everyday life.

A carcinogen is something that can cause you to have cancer. It may be a substance in the air, a product you use, or a chemical in foods and drinks.

Just because you had contact with a carcinogen doesn't mean that you'll get cancer.

Your chance of getting sick depends on many things. How much you've been exposed to it is part of it. Your genes also play a role.

Researchers use different methods to decide whether something should be called a carcinogen.

Large doses of a substance can be given to lab animals to see if they get cancer. Scientists also study the results of many studies.

Tobacco

It doesn't matter whether you're a smoker or breathing in someone else's smoke. At least 70 chemicals in tobacco are known to cause cancer by damaging your DNA.

Smokeless tobacco may seem safer, but it can lead to cancer, too. Even light smoking raises your risk, so talk to your doctor about ways to quit.

Radon

This gas occurs in small amounts in nature, where it's harmless. But if it builds up indoors and you breathe it in, radon breaks down the lining of your lungs.

It's the No. 1 cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. You can't see or smell radon, but a special test can check the levels in your home. Some state radon offices offer kits for free.

Asbestos

The tough, tiny fibers in asbestos help strengthen products like roof shingles, ceiling tiles, and car parts. Yet if these fibers break free and you breathe them in, they get lodged inside your lungs.

Studies of people and animals have shown that asbestos is a carcinogen.

If you come into contact with it at your job, wear protective gear. If it's in your home and needs to be removed, hire an expert.

Crispy, Brown Foods

When some vegetables, like potatoes, are heated to high temps, they give off a chemical called acrylamide.

Studies show that rats who took in acrylamide in their drinking water got cancer, so researchers think humans do, too.

You can cut the amount you eat by baking, roasting, frying, and toasting foods until they're a tan color instead of golden or deep brown.

Formaldehyde

From plywood to some fabrics, this chemical is used in many household products. Studies on lab rats and people who are around formaldehyde at their jobs show it can cause cancer.

Before buying any wood products or furniture for your home, find out if they contain formaldehyde. Air out your house every day and keep humidity levels low with an air conditioner or dehumidifier.

Ultraviolet Rays

Studies show that ultraviolet (UV) rays, whether from the sun or a tanning bed, get absorbed into your skin and damage the cells there.

Most skin cancer cases are due to UV rays.

Pollution and climate change make these rays stronger. To stay safe, protect your skin with sunscreen, wear a hat and sunglasses, and avoid tanning salons.

Alcohol

The more booze you drink, the greater your odds of getting certain kinds of cancers, such as:

·                     Head and neck

·                     Esophageal

·                     Breast

·                     Liver

·                     Colorectal

One reason for this may be carcinogenic chemicals produced when beer, wine, and hard liquor are made.

Experts suggest women have no more than one drink each day and men no more than two.

Processed Meat

Bacon, salami, pepperoni, sausage -- any meat that's been preserved or flavored raises your chances of getting colon cancer.

Experts reached that view by looking at more than 800 studies.

Eating a hot dog every once in a while is fine, but limit how much processed meat you have as much as you can.

Engine Exhaust

Trucks, buses, trains, and even some cars run on diesel fuel. The gas and soot in diesel engine exhaust are believed to cause lung cancer and other types of cancer.

When you can, avoid idling in traffic or spending time next to diesel-run vehicles. If it's part of your job, follow workplace safety guidelines to protect your health.

Pollution

Aside from exhaust, polluted outdoor air contains dust and traces of metals and solvents that can lead to cancer. Experts know this from looking at data from over 1.2 million people across the U.S.

You can't avoid pollution, but you can do your part to avoid contributing to it by walking or biking instead of driving.

Follow local public health warnings and stay indoors on days when air quality is bad.

WebMD Medical Reference Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD on July 21, 2018

Laura J. Martin, MD, MPH, is a former medical editor for WebMD who was responsible for reviewing WebMD news and feature stories to ensure their medical accuracy. She has many years of experience in the practice of both inpatient and outpatient internal medicine. She has served as a medical educator in the fields of general internal medicine, palliative care, and medical ethics.

She obtained her master's degree in public health at Tulane University, followed by her medical degree at Louisiana State University Medical School in New Orleans. Martin completed her residency in internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. She practiced general internal medicine in a private practice setting in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., for several years before returning to Atlanta, where she practiced academic medicine at Emory University for more than 10 years.

WebMD has created an organization that we believe fulfills the promise of health information on the Internet. We provide credible information, supportive communities, and in-depth reference material about health subjects that matter to you. We are a source for original and timely health information as well as material from well known content providers.

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https://www.webmd.com/cancer/know-common-carcinogens#1

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION - Usually the most effective way to improve indoor air quality is to eliminate individual sources of pollution or to reduce their emissions. Some sources, like those that contain asbestos, can be sealed or enclosed; others, like gas stoves, can be adjusted to decrease the amount of emissions. In many cases, source control is also a more cost-efficient approach to protecting indoor air quality than increasing ventilation because increasing ventilation can increase energy costs.

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Indoor Air Pollution

Improving Indoor Air Quality

The information provided here is based on current scientific and technical understanding of the issues presented.

Following the advice given will not necessarily provide complete protection in all situations or against all health hazards that may be caused by indoor air pollution.

There are three basic strategies to improve indoor air quality

1.  Source Control

2.  Improved Ventilation

3.  Air Cleaners

Source Control

Usually the most effective way to improve indoor air quality is to eliminate individual sources of pollution or to reduce their emissions.

Some sources, like those that contain asbestos, can be sealed or enclosed; others, like gas stoves, can be adjusted to decrease the amount of emissions.

In many cases, source control is also a more cost-efficient approach to protecting indoor air quality than increasing ventilation because increasing ventilation can increase energy costs.

Ventilation Improvements

For most indoor air quality problems in the home, source control is the most effective solution.

Another approach to lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming indoors.

Most home heating and cooling systems, including forced air heating systems, do not mechanically bring fresh air into the house.

Opening windows and doors, operating window or attic fans, when the weather permits, or running a window air conditioner with the vent control open increases the outdoor ventilation rate.

Local bathroom or kitchen fans that exhaust outdoors remove contaminants directly from the room where the fan is located and also increase the outdoor air ventilation rate.

It is particularly important to take as many of these steps as possible while you are involved in short-term activities that can generate high levels of pollutants — for example, painting, paint stripping, heating with kerosene heaters, cooking, or engaging in maintenance and hobby activities such as welding, soldering, or sanding.

You might also choose to do some of these activities outdoors, if you can and if weather permits.

Advanced designs of new homes are starting to feature mechanical systems that bring outdoor air into the home. Some of these designs include energy-efficient heat recovery ventilators (also known as air-to-air heat exchangers).

Ventilation and shading can help control indoor temperatures.

Ventilation also helps remove or dilute indoor airborne pollutants coming from indoor sources. This reduces the level of contaminants and improves indoor air quality (IAQ).

Carefully evaluate using ventilation to reduce indoor air pollutants where there may be outdoor sources of pollutants, such as smoke or refuse, nearby.

The introduction of outdoor air is one important factor in promoting good air quality. Air may enter a home in several different ways, including:

·  through natural ventilation, such as through windows and doors

·  through mechanical means, such as through outdoor air intakes associated with the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system

·  through infiltration, a process by which outdoor air flows into the house through openings, joints and cracks in walls, floors and ceilings, and around windows and doors.

Infiltration occurs in all homes to some extent.

Natural ventilation describes air movement through open windows and doors.

If used properly natural ventilation can at times help moderate the indoor air temperature, which may become too hot in homes without air-conditioning systems or when power outages or brownouts limit or make the use of air conditioning impossible.

Natural ventilation can also improve indoor air quality by reducing pollutants that are indoors. Examples of natural ventilation are:

·  opening windows and doors

·  window shading such as closing the blinds

Most residential forced air-heating systems and air-conditioning systems do not bring outdoor air into the house mechanically, and infiltration and natural ventilation are relied upon to bring outdoor air into the home.

Advanced designs for new homes are starting to add a mechanical feature that brings outdoor air into the home through the HVAC system.

Some of these designs include energy efficient heat recovery ventilators to mitigate the cost of cooling and heating this air during the summer and winter.

Air Cleaners

There are many types and sizes of air cleaners on the market, ranging from relatively inexpensive table-top models to sophisticated and expensive whole-house systems.

Some air cleaners are highly effective at particle removal, while others, including most table-top models, are much less so.

Air cleaners are generally not designed to remove gaseous pollutants.

The effectiveness of an air cleaner depends on how well it collects pollutants from indoor air (expressed as a percentage efficiency rate) and how much air it draws through the cleaning or filtering element (expressed in cubic feet per minute).

A very efficient collector with a low air-circulation rate will not be effective, nor will a cleaner with a high air-circulation rate but a less efficient collector.

The long-term performance of any air cleaner depends on maintaining it according to the manufacturer's directions.

Another important factor in determining the effectiveness of an air cleaner is the strength of the pollutant source.

Table-top air cleaners, in particular, may not remove satisfactory amounts of pollutants from strong nearby sources.

People with a sensitivity to particular sources may find that air cleaners are helpful only in conjunction with concerted efforts to remove the source.

Over the past few years, there has been some publicity suggesting that houseplants have been shown to reduce levels of some chemicals in laboratory experiments.

There is currently no evidence, however, that a reasonable number of houseplants remove significant quantities of pollutants in homes and offices.

Indoor houseplants should not be over-watered because overly damp soil may promote the growth of microorganisms which can affect allergic individuals.

At present, EPA does not recommend using air cleaners to reduce levels of radon and its decay products.

The effectiveness of these devices is uncertain because they only partially remove the radon decay products and do not diminish the amount of radon entering the home.

EPA plans to do additional research on whether air cleaners are, or could become, a reliable means of reducing the health risk from radon.

https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/improving-indoor-air-quality