Air pollution linked to mouth cancer

TUMOURS in the mouth have been linked to exposure to air pollution in a study in the Journal of Investigative Medicine.

When researchers examined the health records of 482,659 men over 40 in Taiwan, along with data from air quality-monitoring stations, they found higher levels of small pollution particles called PM2.5 in the air were linked to a 43% higher chance of being diagnosed with mouth cancer.

According to cancer experts, rates of this type of the disease have increased 71% in the past 20 years, despite fewer people smoking — a known risk factor for the condition.