Air Pollution and Health
Does secondhand smoke cause cancer? Yes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. National Toxicology Program, the U.S. Surgeon General, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have all classified secondhand smoke as a known human carcinogen (a cancer-causing agent). For more information, please visit NCI.
Formaldehyde
<Formaldehyde – United States Environmental Protection Agency>
Formaldehyde is used mainly to produce resins used in particleboard products and as an intermediate in the synthesis of other chemicals. Exposure to formaldehyde may occur by breathing contaminated indoor air, tobacco smoke, or ambient urban air. Acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) inhalation exposure to formaldehyde in humans can result in respiratory symptoms, and eye, nose, and throat irritation. For detailed information on formaldehyde and health, visit US EPA.
<Indoor Air Quality > Indoor Air Pollutants > Pollutants from Household Products & Building Materials > Formaldehyde – Health Canada>
Formaldehyde is a colorless gas that is emitted mainly from household products and building materials. Low levels of formaldehyde in indoor air are actually very common. On this link, sources of formaldehyde, health risks, how to reduce exposure to formaldehyde and other information can be found.
<Formaldehyde and Cancer Risk – National Cancer Institute>
Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical that is used in building materials and to produce many household products. How is the general population exposed to formaldehyde? Can formaldehyde cause cancer? What have scientists learned about the relationship between formaldehyde and cancer? How can people limit formaldehyde exposure in their homes? You can find answers to these questions by visiting the National Cancer Institute website.
Cooking Fumes
<Controlling cooking fumes – HSE>
Cooking fumes contain oil mists, irritating substances, smoke, and carbon dioxide from gas-fired equipment. Engineering control (local exhaust ventilation) is the recommended approach to keep exposure low. For more information, please click here.
<Fumes from frying steak probed – NHS>
This link introduced a research that looked at the gases produced by frying. Although the results found that certain harmful chemicals were produced and the concentrations were within the exposure limitation, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has recently classified the fumes from high-temperature frying as ‘probably’ cancer-causing to humans. For more information, please click here.
<Take Care in the Kitchen: Avoiding Cooking-Related Pollutants – EHP>
Cooking appliances and the process of cooking itself can produce numerous pollutants. For instance, electric coil burners in stoves, ovens, and toasters can release fine and ultrafine particles, while gas burners can generate nitrogendioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and formaldehyde. The burning of organic matter during cooking—particularly with high-temperature activities like frying, broiling, and sautéing—produces acrolein, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. An appliance’s pilot light can be a source of nitrogen dioxide. A venting hood, even if only modestly effective, can protect residents against cooking-related pollutants. For more information, please click here.
Incense burning
<Incense fumes could do more harm to your health than tobacco smoke – Hong Kong Cancer Fund>
Medical professionals have long suspected that joss sticks and incense – usually containing a blend of plant extracts and oils – emit harmful fumes when burned. Now, researchers from Taiwan’s National Cheng Kung University in Tainan say joss fumes contain particulate matter, gases and organic compounds that could be more harmful than tobacco smoke. For more information, please click here.
<Incense linked to airway cancers – WebMD>
Long-term exposure to incense fumes was associated with an increased risk for most upper respiratory cancers, as well as squamous cell lung cancer, the study shows. Squamous cell lung cancer is most common type of lung cancer in smokers. This’s a real risk that should not be ignored. For more information, please click here.