Environmental Pollution and Risk of Childhood Cancer: A Scoping Review of Evidence from the Last Decade

Abstract

Overview

The long-term effects of environmental pollution have been of concern as several pollutants are carcinogenic, potentially inducing a variety of cancers, including childhood cancer, which is a leading cause of death around the world and, thus, is a public health issue.

Scope of Review

This scoping review aimed to update and summarize the available literature to detect specific environmental pollutants and their association with certain types of childhood cancer. Studies published from 2013 to 2023 regarding environmental pollution and childhood cancer were retrieved from the PubMed database. A total of 174 studies were eligible for this review and were analyzed.

Findings

• Most articles evaluated air pollution (29%) and pesticides (28%).
• Indoor exposure to chemicals (11%), alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy (16%), electromagnetic fields (EMF) (12%), and radon (4%) were less frequently researched.
• There were particularly high percentages of positive associations between prenatal and postnatal exposure to indoor (84%) and outdoor (79%) air pollution, as well as to pesticides (82%), and childhood cancer.
• Positive associations found:
  • Leukemia with pesticides (33%) and air pollution (27%)
  • CNS tumors and neuroblastoma with pesticides (53% and 43%)
  • Wilms tumor and other rare cancers with air pollution (50%)
• Indoor air pollution was mostly reported in studies assessing several types of cancer (26%).

Conclusion

Further studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms underlying the potential associations between indoor/outdoor air pollution and pesticide exposure with childhood cancer risk, as more preventable measures could be taken.

🚨 Importantly, electromagnetic fields (EMF) were included among exposures studied, and a link to childhood cancer risk was noted in some research, highlighting a recognized connection and the importance of further investigation.