Study: Pesticides rival smoking in raising risk of cancer

Farmers and folks living in agricultural areas may be exposed to levels of pesticides that confer cancer risks that are higher than if they smoked, new research shows.

These extra risks were most pronounced for certain cancers: non-Hopkins lymphoma, leukemia and bladder cancer, the researchers noted.

Various pesticides mix together to raise the odds for cancer, noted study lead author Isain Zapata .

"It is the combination of all of them, and not just a single one, that matters," said Zapata, who is an associate professor at Rocky Vista University's College of Osteopathic Medicine in Colorado.

His team published its findings Thursday in the journal Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society .

"In the real world, it is not likely that people are exposed to a single pesticide, but more to a cocktail of pesticides within their region," explained Zapata, so the new analysis tracked exposures to 69 common pesticides, based on usage data from the United States Geological Survey.

The research team's modeling created estimates of cancer risk. They revealed that for people regularly exposed, the lifetime risk of getting non-Hopkins lymphoma, leukemia and bladder cancer was greater from pesticides than if they had been smokers.

Speaking in a journal news release, Isain explained that "it is difficult to explain the magnitude of an issue without presenting any context, so we incorporated smoking data."

"We were surprised to see [risk] estimates in similar ranges," Zapata said.

Geography mattered, too: Not surprisingly, pesticide-linked cancer risks were highest in agriculturally rich areas of the United States, such as the Midwest.

The next time you pick up an ear of corn or a tomato at the supermarket, consider the source and the risks involved to workers, Zapata said.

"Every time I go to the supermarket to buy food, I think of a farmer who was part of making that product," he said. "These people often put themselves at risk for my convenience and that plays a role in my appreciation for that product. It definitely has had an impact on how I feel when that forgotten tomato in the fridge goes bad and I have to put it in the trash."

More information

Find out more about pesticides at Penn State Extension .

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