In a study published on July 28 by the journal Cancer, US researchers claim that non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer of the lymphatic system, is linked to exposure to benzene present in the environment.
This solvent, widely used in the chemical industry, has already been classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Its toxicity is beyond doubt. According to the World Health Organization, “permanent exposure to concentrations of benzene such as commonly observed indoors in European cities causes up to 10 additional cases of leukemia per 100,000 inhabitants”. Although this exposure is a recognized cause of leukemia, “its association with the development of non-Hodgkin lymphomas is less clear,” notes the specialist site LiveScience.
A carcinogenic substance
It is on this link that American scientists have looked. According to them, the incidence of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is higher than expected among people living in near oil refineries and factories. “By increasing the distance from sites that release benzene, the risk of cancer decreases by 0.31% for each mile traveled,” says LiveScience.
Study author Cartherine Bulka, a researcher at Emory University in Georgia, regrets that the study’s results are limited. “We hope our research can educate readers about the potential risks they face by living near facilities that release carcinogens into air, water and soil,” she says. The researchers add that people living in urban areas are also exposed to other sources of benzene such as exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke.
