Research Opportunities for Cancer Associated with Indoor Air Pollution from Solid-Fuel Combustion

Abstract

Background: Indoor air pollution (IAP) derived largely from the use of solid fuels for cooking and heating affects about 3 billion people worldwide, resulting in substantial adverse health outcomes, including cancer. Women and children from developing countries are the most exposed populations. A workshop was held in Arlington, Virginia, 9–11 May 2011, to better understand women’s and children’s potential health effects from IAP in developing countries. Workshop participants included international scientists, manufacturers, policy and regulatory officials, community leaders, and advocates who held extensive discussions to help identify future research needs.Objectives: Our objective was to identify research opportunities regarding IAP and cancer, including research questions that could be incorporated into studies of interventions to reduce IAP exposure. In this commentary, we describe the state of the science in understanding IAP and its associations with cancer and suggest research opportunities for improving our understanding of the issues.Discussion: Opportunities for research on IAP and cancer include studies of the effect of IAP on cancers other than lung cancer; studies of genetic factors that modify susceptibility; studies to determine whether the effects of IAP are mediated via germline, somatic, and/or epigenetic changes; and studies of the effects of IAP exposure via dermal and/or oral routes.Conclusions: IAP from indoor coal use increases the risk of lung cancer. Installing chimneys can reduce risk, and some genotypes, including GSTM1-null, can increase risk. Additional research is needed regarding the effects of IAP on other cancers and the effects of different types of solid fuels, oral and dermal routes of IAP exposure, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, and genetic susceptibility.

Epidemiological and Clinicopathological Characteristics of Lung Cancer in a Teaching Hospital in Iran

“…This type of solid fuel (biomass) is the major origin of air pollutants in such closed environments of rural properties (Balmes, 2010) .Women and children in these environments are at higher risk because of increased exposure to air pollutants (Kodgule and Salvi, 2012;Kurmi et al, 2012;Reid et al, 2012). Also, the female villagers engaged in baking home-made bread, experience consecutive hours of working by the side of traditional ovens and long-term exposure to fumes and therefore with a higher risk for air pollutant-associated diseases.…”

“…Also, the female villagers engaged in baking home-made bread, experience consecutive hours of working by the side of traditional ovens and long-term exposure to fumes and therefore with a higher risk for air pollutant-associated diseases. In 2010, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) declared that the pollution produced by biomass utilization is considered as a possible carcinogen for human (Reid et al, 2012). In a study reported in China in 2008, an association between the indoor air pollution (IAP) due to solid fuel and chronic respiratory disease and lung cancer was confirmed (Galeone et al, 2008).…”

Household fuel use for cooking and heating in China: Results from the first Chinese Environmental Exposure-Related Human Activity Patterns Survey (CEERHAPS)

“…Because the majority of households in developing countries rely on solid fuels for daily cooking and heating needs, there are growing concerns over air pollution from solid fuel combustion and the associated health problems [4][5][6][7]. The most recent Global Burden of Disease study (2010) estimated that the exposure to smoke from household air pollution was responsible for approximately 3.5 million premature deaths globally, as well as other various health issues, such as cataracts and cardiovascular disease [8][9][10]. The percentage of the population that relies on solid fuels as their main energy source is one of the indices in the Millennium Development Goal indicators [11].…”

Role of Household Exposure, Dietary Habits and Glutathione S-Transferases M1, T1 Polymorphisms in Susceptibility to Lung Cancer among Women in Mizoram India

“…Smoking of tobacco is undoubtly one of predominant risk factor for lung cancer (Tredaniel et al, 1994;Pisani et al, 2006;Sellappa et al, 2009). Apart from smoking exposure, indoor smoke from household activities (Zhong et al, 1999;Reid et al, 2012;Yin et al, 2013) and dietary habits (Marchand et al, 2002;Shen et al, 2008) were also suspected to have casual relationship. Exposure to cooking oil fumes (COF) and wood smoke are known to contain considerable amount of carcinogens such as benzo [a]pyrene, 2, 4-decadienal, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (Yang et al, 2000;Lissowska et al, 2005).…”