“Household Coal Could Help Cause Lung Cancer”

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29797, 13 April 1962, Page 10

“Household Coal Could Help Cause Lung Cancer”

New Zealand should act now to stop coal being burnt in domestic grates, except in stoves specially constructed to prevent smoke being loosed into the atmosphere. Smoky factory chimneys should also be banned. Professor J. W. Crofton, of the department of respiratory diseases. University of Edinburgh. said this in Christchurch yesterday Air pollution caused chronic bronchitis and was also probably in part responsible for lung cancer, said Professor Crofton.

"We are already introducing clean-air measures in various parts of Britain, even although we are doing it all too slowly to my way of thinking." he said. “Air pollution may not be the pressing problem yet with you that it already is with us. but unless you take action you may find that in 20 years you are just as badly off as we now are. It would be tar better to ensure at least that all new houses and factories built from now on were designed

to conform with antipollution laws.

“Although by far the biggest factor in producing lung cancer is undoubtedly the smoking of tobacco, especially cigarettes, there is a good deal of evidence that air pollution also plays a part. Carcinogenic > cancerproducing) substances have been isolated albeit in small quantities, from industrial and household smokes. There is some indication that air poLutants and cigarettes together may cause more harm than the sum of what the two would have caused separately. ‘

Some of the evidence for air pollution as an additional fac.or in causing lung can-i cer comes from countries Ji,.'. eW . .Zealand. where general levels of air pollu..on are relatively low ■ T?h r , e n. U * higher incidence £-‘“ ng < ? n€er among immigran who spent their earlv “ districts of high air iE Eur °P* than Snde« aaVe ’ reared New “Lung cancer ie no 4 the

only disease, however, which arises from breathing pol-! luted air. Chronic bronchitis ; is also a result. The deathrate from chronic bronchitis' does not begin to rise steeply m New Zealand until the age of 60. whereas in Britain! Hie rise begins at about 50 This may be traceable to the earlier date at which heavy smoking became common in! Britain, but it could well be » result too of the higher level of air pollution there." «aia Profeasor Crofton,