WHO: Air pollution a key cause of cancer

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said outdoor air pollution is a leading cause of cancer in humans.

The air we breathe is laced with cancer-causing substances and should now be classified as carcinogenic to humans, WHO’s cancer agency said.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) cited data indicating that in 2010, 223,000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution, and said there was also convincing evidence it increases the risk of bladder cancer.