THIS IS LONDON: Car exhausts may cause child cancer

http://www.thisislondon.com/news/art...urce=PA%20Feed

Car exhausts may cause child cancer
11 August 2005

The development of cancer in childhood is strongly linked to pollution
from engine exhausts, a researcher has claimed.

Professor George Knox, from the University of Birmingham, said
youngsters were at higher risk of cancer if they lived near emissions
hotspots, such as transport depots. But experts said the public should
not be alarmed by the claims and stressed much more research was
needed to show what level of exposure posed a threat.


Prof Knox looked at data on 22,500 children who died from cancer in
Britain between 1955 and 1980, taking into account where they lived
and nearby emissions hotspots for specific chemicals.

These hotspots were identified from published maps of atmospheric
pollution levels and included chemicals such as carbon monoxide,
nitrogen oxides, 1,3-butadiene and benzene dioxins.

The researcher also located emissions sources including bus and train
stations, transport hubs, oil installations and hospitals. He then
compared the number of deaths from childhood cancer that would be
expected in a particular area with the actual number of deaths that
occurred.

Prof Knox said that children had a higher risk of cancer if they lived
within 0.3 kilometres of a chemical emissions hotspot. Youngsters also
faced an increased risk if they lived within 1km of an emissions
source, such as a transport hub.

The researcher suggested that 1,3-butadiene and carbon monoxide - both
produced by vehicle exhausts and particularly diesel engines - were
among the biggest culprits.

He said that when combined with living close to an emissions source,
such as a bus or coach station, a child had a 12 times higher risk of
dying from cancer than other youngsters.

Professor Knox concluded: "Childhood cancers are strongly determined
by prenatal or early postnatal exposures to oil based combustion
gases, especially from engine exhausts. 1,3 butadiene, a known
carcinogen, may be directly causal."

Earlier this year Professor Knox published research saying that most
childhood cancers are "probably" caused by exposure to pollutants
while babies are still in the womb.

Thanks for bringing this to us.

This is another reason for using clean-air technology. Catalytic convertors
help reduce the emissions of unburned hydrocarbons like 1,3-butadiene as
well as carbon monoxide. In know NYC's buses claim to use clean-air
technology. This should cut down on asthma as well.

Jeff

copyrighted material deleted

Yeah, thanks for that article.
I know many European cities are now implementing buses and transport
systems that utilises either natural gas for combustion or electricity.
It's an important step ahead towards making the amount of poisonous
gases in the air shrink, and even though it will take time to get the
levels down to a completely acceptible level, I think we'll see the
effects quite soon, perhaps in as little as 10 years.

-S-
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