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More chemicals in cancer alert
Source: Agencies |
June 13, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
The strong-smelling chemical formaldehyde causes cancer, while styrene, a second industrial chemical that's used worldwide in the manufacture of fiberglass and food containers, may cause cancer, the United States National Institutes of Health says.
The NIH said people with higher measures of exposure to formaldehyde are at increased risk for certain types of rare cancers, including those affecting the upper part of the throat behind the nose.
The chemical is widely used to make resins for household items, including paper product coatings, plastics and textile finishes. It is also commonly used as a preservative in medical laboratories, mortuaries and consumer products including some hair straightening products.
The government says styrene is a component of tobacco smoke, and NIH says the greatest exposure to the chemical is through cigarette smoking.
The two chemicals were among eight added to the government's list submitted to Congress of chemicals and biological agents that may put people at increased risk of cancer.
Also on the list as a known carcinogen is a botanical agent called aristolochic acids, shown to cause high rates of bladder or upper urinary tract cancer in people with kidney or renal disease.
A warning issued a decade ago by the US Food and Drug Administration advised consumers to discontinue using botanical products containing aristolochic acids. They are still available on the Internet and abroad and may be a contaminant in herbal products for treating symptoms for arthritis, gout and inflammation.
The NIH said people with higher measures of exposure to formaldehyde are at increased risk for certain types of rare cancers, including those affecting the upper part of the throat behind the nose.
The chemical is widely used to make resins for household items, including paper product coatings, plastics and textile finishes. It is also commonly used as a preservative in medical laboratories, mortuaries and consumer products including some hair straightening products.
The government says styrene is a component of tobacco smoke, and NIH says the greatest exposure to the chemical is through cigarette smoking.
The two chemicals were among eight added to the government's list submitted to Congress of chemicals and biological agents that may put people at increased risk of cancer.
Also on the list as a known carcinogen is a botanical agent called aristolochic acids, shown to cause high rates of bladder or upper urinary tract cancer in people with kidney or renal disease.
A warning issued a decade ago by the US Food and Drug Administration advised consumers to discontinue using botanical products containing aristolochic acids. They are still available on the Internet and abroad and may be a contaminant in herbal products for treating symptoms for arthritis, gout and inflammation.
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