Researchers say this is due to a unique mixture of air pollutants in the region

Nov 25, 2013 20:06 GMT  ·  By
Unique mixture of air pollutants makes people in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County more vulnerable to cancer
   Unique mixture of air pollutants makes people in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County more vulnerable to cancer

A new report issued by researchers working with the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health says that people living in the city of Pittsburgh and its surrounding Allegheny County are twice more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than people living in other parts of the United States.

The scientists reached this conclusion after analyzing local air quality, and assessing the health risks associated with the air pollutants hovering over the area.

In their paper, the University of Pittsburgh researchers detail that folks living in this city and in its encompassing county are presently exposed to a unique mixture of pollutants that, when breathed in, significantly affect health.

According to C Web News, this unique air pollutants mix is largely due to natural gas development, coke processing plants and electric power-generating facilities in the area.

Specifically, the specialists found that the air in this part of the United States contains loads of emissions coming from diesel fuel or from coke ovens.

Noteworthy amounts of compounds such as formaldehyde, carbon tetrachloride and benzene were also identified in the air over Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

The country's Environmental Protection Agency considers all of these compounds to be hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), meaning that each of them has been documented to up cancer risk or trigger other health problems.

The researchers detail that, according to their investigations, what people in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County need to worry the most about is the diesel emissions.

Thus, they say that this compound is the highest priority air toxin in the region and argue that, should its air concentrations be reduced, local cancer risk would also drop to a considerable extent.

Commenting on the outcome of this investigation, lead author Drew Michanowicz said that, “This report underscores three of the major air quality challenges facing the region — diesel emissions, large point sources and a potential transforming pollutant mixture from unconventional natural gas drilling operations.”

“Our findings serve to better focus our future research efforts, as well as support response actions by community-based advocacy groups and other stakeholders to meet these challenges.”