According to research scientist Dr Effie Ablett the main chemicals in our air and water causing cancer today are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs (rhymes with cars). She warns that they could affect your health, and put your children and grandchildren’s lives at risk.
Most types of smoke contain PAHs, e.g. cigarette, barbecue, and bushfire smoke. If you smell smoke, you are being exposed to PAHs which could result in cancer in 10 to 15 years.
A recent Canadian study has shown people living within 50 kilometres of a wildfire in the past 10 years had a higher risk of lung cancer and a higher risk of brain tumours compared to people not exposed to wildfires. Around 2.7 billion people in the world today are cooking with solid fuels (wood and coal), and they have increased cancer due to PAHs released in the smoke.
Not only is the risk of lung cancer increased, but also oesaphageal, salivary gland, liver, kidney, and cervical cancer – thousands of cancer cases could be prevented if we reduce PAHs in our air and water.
Take action
You can take precautions to reduce your exposure to PAHs, and governments can do a lot more to reduce PAH levels, but there’s more that you can do right now.
Local research scientist Dr Effie Ablett has developed a website which has lots of information about PAHs and how they cause cancer, all backed up by scientific papers (www.pahs-and-cancer.org). Dr Ablett is looking for a team of local people to help publicise the website and lobby the government about PAHs. ‘You can work to prevent future cancer cases by helping us to publicise information about the main chemicals causing cancer today. You will also spread the word on how to take precautions to avoid PAHs and how to lobby governments to reduce them in our air and water,’ she says.
‘Join us to reduce future cancer – in your children and grandchildren.’
If you can spare a few hours helping to publicise the website, doing a few internet searches, or some Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or X posts, please phone Effie on 0427 363 006.
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