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Exposure to specific air pollutants from nearby industrial sites may be associated with breast cancer risk among women in Los Angeles, reports a study in the July issue of the
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Julia E. Heck, PhD, MPH, of the University of North Texas and colleagues analyzed data from 53,313 women enrolled in a long-term study of health risks (the California Multiethnic Cohort) in Los Angeles County. The women varied in terms of racial/ethnic group and socioeconomic status.
The researchers used data from the EPA Toxic Release Inventory to estimate exposure to industrial pollutants, based on the participants' home address and distance to industrial release sites. Exposure to 15 common pollutants widely used in industrial products and processes was evaluated for association with breast cancer risk, with adjustment for other cancer risk factors.
For several pollutants, high levels of exposure were linked to higher breast cancer risk. Implicated chemicals included dichloromethane, tetrachloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, diethanolamine, and methyl ethyl ketone. The associations varied in strength: for example, for each category (quartile) increase in exposure level, breast cancer risk increased by 17% for dichloromethane, 53% for tetrachloroethylene, and 77% for 1,1,1-trichloroethane.
Higher exposure to formaldehyde was associated with a 44% increase in the risk of hormone receptor-negative breast cancer, but not other types. That finding suggested that potential causative factors might vary by cancer subtype.
Some of the implicated pollutants had previously been identified as occupational risk factors for breast cancer. For others, the new study is the first to report an association with breast cancer.
Several associations were significant only at the highest level of pollutant exposure. With a few exceptions, pollutant-related risks were similar across racial/ethnic groups.
A growing body of evidence suggests that environmental chemicals may affect breast cancer risk, but there is limited evidence on occupational exposures. Some studies have suggested higher breast cancer rates among women living near industrial pollution sources.
The new study is the first to focus on exposure to common industrial exposures as possible risk factors for breast cancer. The findings "underscore the need to incorporate environmental exposure assessment into cancer prevention and risk reduction strategies and support policies to limit emissions from industrial sources to protect community and occupational health," Dr. Heck and coauthors conclude.
About the Author
Dr. Heck may be contacted for interviews at julia.heck(at)unt.edu
Read the full article here: https://journals.lww.com/joem/abstract/2026/07000/exposure_to_industrial_air_toxics_and_risk_of.1.aspx