UN agency calls outdoor air pollution leading cause of cancer
* Cancer agency ranks polluted air alongside tobacco smoke
* Some 23,000 lung cancer deaths in 2010 due to pollution
* Transport and power generation are major air polluters
The air we breathe is laced with cancer-causing substances and should now be classified as carcinogenic to humans, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) cancer agency said on Thursday.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) cited data indicating that in 2010, 223,000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution, and said there was also convincing evidence it increases the risk of bladder cancer.
The WHO is a Geneva-based agency of the United Nations focused on international public health matters.
Air pollution, mostly caused by transport, power generation, industrial or agricultural emissions and residential heating and cooking, is already known to raise risks for a wide range of illnesses including respiratory and heart diseases.
Research suggests that in recent years, exposure levels have risen significantly in some parts of the world, particularly countries with large populations going through rapid industrialisation such as China.
