POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS RELATED TO CARCINOGENS IN THE ATMOSPHERIC-ENVIRONMENT IN INDIA

In India, rapid urbanization and industrialization have contributed po sitively toward meeting the materialistic needs of the citizens, but h ave also resulted in contamination of the atmospheric environment. Thi s paper deals with the assessment of potential health risks posed by c arcinogenic substances, namely cadmium, chromium, and nickel, present in certain atmospheric environments in India. Average air concentratio ns of these carcinogenic metals have been assessed for different state s and regions of India (C. R. Krishnamurti and P. Vishwanathan, Toxic Metals in the Indian Environment, Tata/McGraw-Hill, New Delhi, 1991). Based on these assessments, both individual and societal risks have be en estimated in different states of the country, and comparisons were made. Reported concentration, release sources, potential health risks including cancer risk estimates, and ambient air interim guidelines ar e discussed. The reported environmental releases and cancer risk from cadmium are minimal. There is a potential for increased respiratory ca ncer risk from exposure to chromium and nickel in some northern Indian states. These metals are irritants to nasal passages and the respirat ory tract. Chromium is also corrosive to mucus membranes. They have th e potential to cause chronic respiratory problems. Since it appears th at these metals may cause some adverse health effects in humans, expos ure to these ambient air pollutants should be minimized by managing th e release of these contaminants to the environment. There is a need fo r the development and strict enforcement of national and state regulat ory standards. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.