Harmful substances - chemicals, pollution and cancer Every day,
we are exposed to thousands of different chemicals, many of
which are man-made. If you are worried that these chemicals may
be harmful to your health, you are not alone. But are synthetic
chemicals really as bad for you as some people believe? Can they
cause cancer, or are such worries unfounded? A small effect For
most people in the UK, harmful chemicals and pollution pose a
very minor risk. Large organisations like the World Health
Organisation (WHO) and the International Agency for Research
into Cancer (IARC) have estimated that pollution and chemicals
in our environment only account for about 3% of all cancers.
Most of these cases are in people who work in certain industries
and are exposed to high levels of chemicals in their jobs.
Avoiding health scares There have been many health scares about
cancer-causing chemicals in recent years. Often these begin when
laboratory tests show that a common chemical can cause cancer.
But these tests can b