Farmers Face Higher Cancer Risks from Pesticides than Smokers 

Farmers Face Higher Cancer Risks from Pesticides than Smokers. Credit | Thinkstock
Farmers Face Higher Cancer Risks from Pesticides than Smokers. Credit | Thinkstock

United States: New research has shown the multiple cancer risks faced by farmers and residents in agricultural areas due to the influence to pesticides.  

According to the study led by Isain Zapata, an associate professor at Rocky Vista University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine in Colorado, these risks could surpass those associated with smoking.  

The study found heightened risks for cancers such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, and bladder cancer, particularly due to the combined effects of various pesticides rather than any single one. This underscores the importance of addressing the cumulative impact of pesticide exposure on human health in agricultural settings. 

Farmers Face Higher Cancer Risks from Pesticides than Smokers. Credit | iStock
Farmers Face Higher Cancer Risks from Pesticides than Smokers. Credit | iStock

Combined Effects Amplify Risks 

The findings have been published by his team in the journal Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society. 

As reported by HealthDay, the real world and it is not common that people who are exposed to a single pesticide but more to a cocktail of the pesticides which are based on the usage data from the United States Geological Survey. 

And the particular team is estimating the cancer risk and they showed that for the people regularly exposed the lifetime risk of getting non-Hopkins Iymphoma, Leukemia and the bladder cancer was greater from the pesticides than if they had been smokers. 

Speaking in a news release the other day Isain explained that it is very difficult to explain the magnitude of an issue without presenting any context, so we are incorporated smoking data. 

Geographical Variations 

In this case the Geography mattered too, like not surprisingly, pesticide linked cancer risks were the highest in the agriculturally rich areas of the United States, such as the Midwest. 

Calls for Awareness and Action  

And make sure the next time you pick up an ear of corn or a tomato at the supermarket, consider the source and the risks involved to the workers, Zapata said. 

“Every time I go to the supermarket to buy food, I think of a farmer who was part of making that product,” he said. “These people often put themselves at risk for my convenience and that plays a role in my appreciation for that product. It definitely has had an impact on how I feel when that forgotten tomato in the fridge goes bad and I have to put it in the trash.”