Everything will kill you
Top 5 Suspected Everyday Carcinogens in American Cancer Society's Scary New Report
Don Juan Matus, Carlos Castenada's teacher, had a better idea: make death your friend. And as Jim Morrison said, "Nobody gets out of here alive!" And as it was said long ago, no one knows the day or hour of his death (Matthew 24:36-44). It's what you do while waiting for the hangman that counts.
(July 15) -- Some carcinogens you already know and fear: cigarettes, asbestos, smoked meat.
But what about the ones you've never even heard of? That's the crux of a new report from the American Cancer Society (ACS), which rounds up 20 "suspected carcinogens" the organization would like to see studied more extensively.
Of course, that research, if it happens, will come after the chemicals, ingredients -- and even lifestyle choices -- are already embedded into the bedrock of our 24/7 economy.
"The objectives of this report are to identify research gaps and needs for 20 agents prioritized for review based on evidence of widespread human exposures and potential carcinogenicity in animals or humans," Elizabeth Ward, the co-author of the report, said.
So just what are these potential cancer causers lurking in our everyday environs? Surge Desk runs down five (not so awesome) favorites.
1. Styrene
Styrene, and its chemical compound colleague styrene-7,-8-oxide, threaten to be a stoner's worst nightmare. Although only weakly linked to cancer in humans, there's enough evidence in animal studies to earn the compounds a spot in the top 20.
Where will you find it? Cigarettes, marijuana and leeching into your midnight munchies via foam food packaging.
How can you avoid it? If you eat, this is one urine test you're doomed to fail. Styrene was detected in the urine of 87 percent of study participants during a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention trial last year.
2. Tetrachloroethylene
Also known as PCE or PERC, this chemical compound is used in everything from heavy industry to dry cleaning.
It's already been shown to cause liver cancer and leukemia in rats, and epidemiological studies have linked it to esophageal and cervical cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Where will you find it? The local dry-cleaner, metal finishing plants and your favorite taxidermy shop (PCE is used to coat the animal fur).
How can you avoid it? Apartments located above dry-cleaning shops have elevated levels of PCE in the air. As does your great uncle's stuffed-deer-infested apartment.
3. Titanium Dioxide
One of the least-well-studied of the bunch, titanium dioxide has only been the subject of three human studies as to carcinogenic effect. But it's been established as a cancer-causing agent in several animal studies, leading the ACS to peg it as "a possible carcinogen in humans."
Where will you find it? Mostly in manufacturing facilities, where workers breathe it in. But it's also an ingredient in "cosmetics, paints, varnishes, lacquers, paper, plastics, ceramics, rubber or printing ink."
How can you avoid it? That depends on the value you assign your looks. "There is conflicting evidence as to whether nanoparticles of titanium dioxide can pass through the skin," the report reads. "If they can, the presence of titanium dioxide in a large variety of cosmetic powders and creams may be a cause of concern."
4. Diesel Exhaust
The odorous fumes have been linked to lung cancer in a myriad of animal studies and a few small evaluations of truck drivers and others in the automotive industry. But because diesel exhaust is absolutely everywhere, and confounding factors (smoking, lifestyle) are tough to eliminate, more research is necessary.
Where will you find it? Everywhere, all of the time, in every city across the country. As the report notes, exhaust is "ubiquitous in urban areas, with substantial exposure to those who commute on highways for years."
How can you avoid it? Pack up and relocate to Michigan, where Mackinac Island, "the motorless city," has been a car-free utopia since 1898.
5. Shift Work
The only non-tangible to make the top 20, shift work has been linked to cancer in a series of studies -- but science has yet to make a definitive connection.
The culprit is thought to be interference with biological circadian rhythms, wherein humans are exposed to light during periods of darkness. A 2007 study in the Lancet noted that shift work "involves circadian disruption [that] is probably carcinogenic to humans."
Where will you find it? At all-night grocery stores, hospitals, factories and homes with newborns across the country. An estimated 15 percent of us are earning our keep doing shift work, according to estimates in the ACS report.
How can you avoid it? Not easily, if your livelihood depends on it, though it does give new meaning to "Don't quit your day job."
Don Juan Matus, Carlos Castenada's teacher, had a better idea: make death your friend. And as Jim Morrison said, "Nobody gets out of here alive!" And as it was said long ago, no one knows the day or hour of his death (Matthew 24:36-44). It's what you do while waiting for the hangman that counts.
(July 15) -- Some carcinogens you already know and fear: cigarettes, asbestos, smoked meat.
But what about the ones you've never even heard of? That's the crux of a new report from the American Cancer Society (ACS), which rounds up 20 "suspected carcinogens" the organization would like to see studied more extensively.
Of course, that research, if it happens, will come after the chemicals, ingredients -- and even lifestyle choices -- are already embedded into the bedrock of our 24/7 economy.
"The objectives of this report are to identify research gaps and needs for 20 agents prioritized for review based on evidence of widespread human exposures and potential carcinogenicity in animals or humans," Elizabeth Ward, the co-author of the report, said.
So just what are these potential cancer causers lurking in our everyday environs? Surge Desk runs down five (not so awesome) favorites.
1. Styrene
Styrene, and its chemical compound colleague styrene-7,-8-oxide, threaten to be a stoner's worst nightmare. Although only weakly linked to cancer in humans, there's enough evidence in animal studies to earn the compounds a spot in the top 20.
Where will you find it? Cigarettes, marijuana and leeching into your midnight munchies via foam food packaging.
How can you avoid it? If you eat, this is one urine test you're doomed to fail. Styrene was detected in the urine of 87 percent of study participants during a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention trial last year.
2. Tetrachloroethylene
Also known as PCE or PERC, this chemical compound is used in everything from heavy industry to dry cleaning.
It's already been shown to cause liver cancer and leukemia in rats, and epidemiological studies have linked it to esophageal and cervical cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Where will you find it? The local dry-cleaner, metal finishing plants and your favorite taxidermy shop (PCE is used to coat the animal fur).
How can you avoid it? Apartments located above dry-cleaning shops have elevated levels of PCE in the air. As does your great uncle's stuffed-deer-infested apartment.
3. Titanium Dioxide
One of the least-well-studied of the bunch, titanium dioxide has only been the subject of three human studies as to carcinogenic effect. But it's been established as a cancer-causing agent in several animal studies, leading the ACS to peg it as "a possible carcinogen in humans."
Where will you find it? Mostly in manufacturing facilities, where workers breathe it in. But it's also an ingredient in "cosmetics, paints, varnishes, lacquers, paper, plastics, ceramics, rubber or printing ink."
How can you avoid it? That depends on the value you assign your looks. "There is conflicting evidence as to whether nanoparticles of titanium dioxide can pass through the skin," the report reads. "If they can, the presence of titanium dioxide in a large variety of cosmetic powders and creams may be a cause of concern."
4. Diesel Exhaust
The odorous fumes have been linked to lung cancer in a myriad of animal studies and a few small evaluations of truck drivers and others in the automotive industry. But because diesel exhaust is absolutely everywhere, and confounding factors (smoking, lifestyle) are tough to eliminate, more research is necessary.
Where will you find it? Everywhere, all of the time, in every city across the country. As the report notes, exhaust is "ubiquitous in urban areas, with substantial exposure to those who commute on highways for years."
How can you avoid it? Pack up and relocate to Michigan, where Mackinac Island, "the motorless city," has been a car-free utopia since 1898.
5. Shift Work
The only non-tangible to make the top 20, shift work has been linked to cancer in a series of studies -- but science has yet to make a definitive connection.
The culprit is thought to be interference with biological circadian rhythms, wherein humans are exposed to light during periods of darkness. A 2007 study in the Lancet noted that shift work "involves circadian disruption [that] is probably carcinogenic to humans."
Where will you find it? At all-night grocery stores, hospitals, factories and homes with newborns across the country. An estimated 15 percent of us are earning our keep doing shift work, according to estimates in the ACS report.
How can you avoid it? Not easily, if your livelihood depends on it, though it does give new meaning to "Don't quit your day job."