Cancer Causing Chemicals of Environment

What are the chemicals causing cancer? Asbestos, benzene and formadelhyde are some of the cancer causing agents that can be found in the environment.

Exposure to these chemicals doesn't only raise your risk for cancer. Exposure may also lead to other health hazards.
The Cancer Causing Agents
and The Cancers They May Cause
1. Asbestos

Asbestos is a known carcinogen. No less than the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the International Agency for Research on Cancer claim that asbestos is one of the chemicals causing cancer, particularly lung cancer.

Asbestos may be present in the workplace, your community and even in your home. When you inhale those tiny asbestos fibers that are in the air, they may get trapped in the lungs and stay there for a long time. These fibers can accumulate and cause scarring and inflammation which can affect breathing and eventually, lead to serious health problems such as cancer.

Exposure to cancer causing agents like asbestos may increase your risk for...

lung cancer
mesothelioma


Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that attacks the thin membranes which line your chest and abdomen. Although rare, mesothelioma is the most common form of cancer associated with asbestos exposure.

gastrointestinal cancer


colorectal cancer


throat cancer


kidney cancer


esophageal cancer, and


gallbladder cancer



Other health problems that asbestos exposure may cause are...

asbestosis


This is a chronic lung disease that can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and worse, permanent lung damage.

nonmalignant lung disorders


pleural disorders like pleural plaques, thickening or effusions


Pleurals are the membranes surrounding your lungs. Pleural effusions are characterized by abnormal collections of fluid between the thin layers of tissue lining the lung and the wall of the chest cavity.

If you have any of the pleural diseases caused by asbestos exposure, you may be at increased risk for lung cancer.


It can take 10 to 40 years for symptoms and signs of asbestos-related diseases to appear. And if you smoke and are exposed heavily to asbestos, your risk for lung cancer is now tripled.


2. Benzene


Benzene is a clear, colorless and flammable liquid that is present in crude oil and petroleum. It is used to make other chemicals and products such as detergents, dyes and plastics. It is released to the air as a by-product of fuel combustion and tobacco burning.

Is benzene one of the chemicals causing cancer? According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, exposure to high levels of benzene lowers your white blood cell count and causes cancer, particularly leukemia.

How does benzene get into your body?

through smoking


when you breathe second hand smoke


through gas pumping


from driving


from air pollution



3. Formaldehyde


Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable and strong-smelling gas that is used to manufacture building materials such as plywood and fiberboard and to produce household products such as glues, adhesives and insulation materials. It is also used as fungicide, disinfectant and preservative in mortuaries and medical laboratories.

Exposure to formaldehyde can lead to negative effects on your health such as...


watery eyes


burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat


coughing


wheezing


nausea


skin irritations


Is formaldehyde one of the cancer causing agents or chemicals?

Here is the answer: In 1987, the U.S. Evironmental protection Agency classified formaldehyde as probable carcinogen. In 1995, the International Agency for Research on Cancer likewise concluded that this chemical is a probable carcinogen. It was only in 2004 that the same agency reclassified formaldehyde as a known carcinogen.

Prolonged exposure to formaldehyde, one of the chemicals causing cancer, may lead to these cancer types:

nasal cancer


nasopharyngeal cancer


leukemia