Patna: A study in Patna has shown that lung cancer is not only caused by smoking but also by indoor air pollution. At Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, 1,637 non-smoking women were found to be suffering from lung cancer over the last eight years. The research was presented by Dr Mousumi Gupta of the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) in collaboration with the hospital.
The study found that women, mostly between the ages of 41 and 60, had been exposed to harmful air inside their kitchens. Levels of PM 2.5 pollutants were found to be extremely high, sometimes crossing 1,000 µg/m3, while the safe standard set by the World Health Organization is only 25 µg/m3. The main reasons were smoke from cooking oil and burning of wood or other fuels in rural households. Dr Gupta said that better-ventilated kitchens could reduce the risk.
Supporting the findings, Dr Ashoke Ghosh, head of research at Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, warned about the danger of air pollution in Bihar and across the world. He said India is the third most polluted country and pollution kills about 8.1 million people every year—numbers as serious as those seen during the peak of Covid-19. He called on citizens to take part in solving this growing crisis.
The event in Patna was attended by about 60 participants, both online and offline. Doctors from ADRI, Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, and Patna Cancer Centre were present. The programme opened with a welcome address by Dr Ashmita Gupta of ADRI and ended with a vote of thanks from Dr Sunil Kumar Gupta.
