Cancer & Air Pollution. How are they connected?

What is cancer?

Cancer is when your body's aberrant cells multiply and divide uncontrollably. By diving into two or more cells it therefore multiplies the cells in your body. The aberrant, or abnormal cells are old cells that instead of dying grows faster. Cancer normally develops when the body's mechanism stops working. It kills by invading the main organs and interfering with body functions. Untreated cancer is the one that commonly causes death. Currently, there is no treatment for cancer. But some medical procedures can put cancer into remission. Remission denotes the absence of all cancerous symptoms. Additionally, there is a condition known as a tumor that results from the extra cells that build up as a mass of tissue on solid organs. It can be both good or bad. Over 100 types of cancer are known to affect humans. Air pollution can cause liver cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic, cancer, and lung cancer. In fact, as mentioned by seer.cancer.gov  these 4 types of cancer are responsible for nearly 50% of all deaths. 

What is air pollution? 

In simple words, air pollution is a form of environmental contamination that has an impact on the atmosphere. Air pollution means the presence of chemicals or compounds in the air which have a poisonous effect. Changing the quality of life and quality of air particles. In addition to specific gases, solid and liquid particles can also contribute to air pollution. Every year, air pollution claims the lives of over 7 million individual

How can air pollution cause cancer? 

You might wonder, the link between air pollution and cancer, well here we are to explain it you. Open-air contamination is a mix of substances and residue particles that can be both man-made or natural. The most dangerous particles are PM10 and PM2.5. PM standing for particulate matter while the numbers signify the sizes in centimeter of the PM. PM2.5 is the smallest and most unnoticeable molecule. They are the considered to be the most dangerous molecules not just because of their almost "invisible" size to the human eye but also because they are considered to cause lung cancer. This can be demonstrated by a study made in Hong Kong, which stated that air pollution might spark defects in DNA repair function, alteration in the body's immune responses, and growth of new blood vessels that cause tumors to spread. Air pollution doesn't just cause cancer but multiply sicknesses. From simple cold to a more dangerous one such as cancer.

But now the real question is, how can we get contaminated by air pollution? 

Is actually really simple to get contaminated by air pollution. Let’s say you work or live next to the industry. In that part of the city, you go shopping, working, walking your dog or just biking. Meanwhile, as you walk, the pollution gets into different parts of your body, your hair, your clothes or something as easy as your shoes. As an illustration, human hair are long 50-70cm, and PM2.5 and PM10 are just the according centimeter, so if the polluted particle goes into your hair you would not be able to see it. So this is how easy you can get contaminated.