Coal and Wood Combustion Smoke Linked to Lung Cancer

Environmental Health Perspectives links poor indoor air quality due to solid-fuel use to increased lung cancer rates. The study was sparked by the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s recent classification of indoor coal smoke emissions as a human carcinogen and wood smoke as a “probable” carcinogen. The study analyzed seven fuel-use epidemiological studies included in the International Lung Cancer Consortium; the studies included a total of 11,640 people from North America, Asia, and Europe. The analysis confirmed an increased risk of lung cancer among solid-fuel users versus non-solid-fuel users across all studies, and suggests that wood smoke should be classified as a carcinogen along with coal smoke. A “lack of epidemiological evidence”—partially rectified through this study—has until now placed wood smoke at the “probable carcinogen” level. The type of stove, quality of ventilation, and other factors influence lung cancer risk associated with solid-fuel use but were not a part of this study. Lung cancer is the most prevalent cancer worldwide, with nearly 1.4 million cases a year. For more information, see ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/home.action.