Reduced Air Pollution Will Control Pediatric CancersA study was table before the annual meeting held by the American Association for Cancer Research in Washington D.C. showed that when pregnant women are exposing to polluted air increasingly, the kids that they are going to deliver are more likely to suffer from cancer related illnesses such as germ cell tumors, pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia and retinoblastoma. This also affects toddlers who are in the age bracket of one to six years.

Seeking the Main Cause of the Cancers

A group of people in the University of California, LA where Julia Heck who has a PhD and an M.P.H was also present, examined the relationship of cancer that are related to air polluted by traffic. The study indicated that the unborn and children in their early life are prone to this types of cancer. About 3,590 cases put into examination and these children were below the age of 6 years. The information was taken from the California Cancer Registry and was used to check the outcome of a selected 80, 224 children from a sample that was acquired from California Birth Records. This study is caring out in phases of three months of pregnancy and within the first year after birth, based on the exposure of the women and kids to the local traffic.

The Findings of the Study

The results were that there was an increased risk of lymphoblastic leukemia, retinoblastoma (bilateral retinoblastoma to be specific), and germ cell tumors. These studies are done by the use of (CALINE4) California Line Source Dispersion Modeling version 4. There was an inter-quartile rise in traffic relate pollution which highly related to the risk of illnesses. Heck stated that since this was the first study to have ever been carried on pediatric cancers that are rare and caused by air pollution, it should be exercised in other states as well, and the whole world at large so as to aid in curbing the menace of cancer at this early age. Carrying of the study, according to Heck, will help determine if there specific types of pollutants for instance benzene which are catalyzing the rise of pediatric cancers. Another pollutant that is also associated with the cancers is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

To curb the increase of cancers in our children there are Julia Heck and her colleagues can do a number of things, thanks to studies such as this one that conducted. All that is required is to check the main causes of the ailments and the cancer menace will put in check. The use of refined fuel on the vehicles as well as alternative methods of powering our vehicles will be a feasible solution, as well as personal protection where residential areas should be located away from areas with dense traffic.