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Develop Melanoma Due to Pollution Exposure

Environmental pollutants are ubiquitous. The skin is the first point of contact of pollutants with our organisms. The link between environmental pollutants and skin cancers has been established since 1775, when a scrotal squamous carcinoma was reported due environmental exposure in British chimney sweeps. This was shown to be due to exposure to the coal soot which contains polyciclyc aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). It has been shown that coal soot is more carcinogenic in comparison with wood soot due to the higher PAH levels resulting from burning of coal. From various PAHs, especially benzo(a)pyrene has been shown to be carcinogenic and may be linked to skin cancers (although usually non-melanoma types). According to some estimates, by 1945, almost 50% of skin cancer was attributable to exposure to PAH containing materials such as tars and pitches and was linked to occupations such as jute workers and mule spinners. Other occupations involving exposure to materials containing PAHs include (but are not limited to) oil refinery workers and road pavers. Other pollutants such as metals (e.g., As) have been linked to various forms of skin cancer, too.

While skin cancer was linked to exposure to various types of environmental pollutants, melanoma type of skin cancer was not clearly linked to pollution exposure. However, the potential exists and it was described in some studies. This is because the exact causes for cancer (what makes a normal cell start growing abnormally and transform into a cancerous cell) are yet to be established. Thus, it is possible that various environmental pollutants (especially those affecting DNA composition of cells) contribute or induce development of skin cancer, including melanoma. In principle, exposure to environmental pollutants may increase the risk or trigger development of melanoma as well as with other skin cancers. This is based and was proven through experiments on animals.
An example was provided by the study of Ingram A.J publisghed in 1992( Review of chemical and UV light-induced melanomas in experimental animals in relation to human melanoma incidence) in Journal of Applied Toxicology (vol, 12, pages 39-43). The study pointed out that a highly carcinogenic PAH namely 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) was capable of inducing melanoma in hamsters, mice and guinea pigs, but only under certain experimental conditions (involving high doses of DMBA which may not be equivalent with exposure levels of humans from average values of this contaminant).

In what concerns the most prevalent pollution media, melanoma – like other types of skin cancers – is mostly affected by the following type of pollution:

  • Water pollution – For example, chemicals which may be discharged in water, especially chloroacetones have been found to induce pigment cell neoplasia in fish.
  • Air pollution – especially suspended particles in the air containing absorbed pollutants such as PAHs (of which the most dangerous to human health are those with small diameter of 2.5 microns or less – usually referred to as PM 2.5)
  • Although less prevalent, pollution of other media could also contribute to development of melanoma and other skin cancers and should not be overlooked.