Lung Cancer is in the Air

Legislation based on science is still the most effective way to reduce air pollution
-- a conversation with Dean William H. Schlesinger

(Ann Kellan)
Welcome to Earth File. If you live in a big city or suburb, the air you breathe may be giving you a 15% greater chance of getting lung cancer than if you lived in an area with less people. And first or second hand tobacco smoke has nothing to do with it. Reducing one type of air pollutant is most critical for lowering this risk, according to Bill Schlesinger, the Dean of Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences.

(Bill Schlesinger)
The cancer relation of air pollution is mostly related to the particles we breath - fine particles... some of which have substances in them that have direct carcinogenic agents.

(Ann Kellan)
These toxic dust particles contain everything from sulfuric acid to condensed metals. And if you think a 15% increase in your risk of getting lung cancer is bad, things could be a lot worse.

(Bill Schlesinger)
We've seen a huge impact from the Clean Air Act in this country. Imagine what the air quality would be like if we had no air pollution enforcement.

(Ann Kellan)
Far from being a waste of time, Schlesinger says legislation based on sound science is still the most effective way to reduce the health risks from air pollution. For more about how we can lower our chances of getting lung cancer, asthma or emphysema in America's growing cities, put Earth File Dot O-R-G in your web browser. I'm Ann Kellan and that's another one for the Earth File.

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