Pesticides pose cancer risk for farmers same as smoking: Study

The researchers emphasised that people are usually exposed to multiple pesticides, not just one.

Exposure to certain pesticides can increase cancer risk in farmers as much as smoking does, according to a new study. Researchers identified 69 pesticides, including four commonly used in India, that are linked to higher cancer rates.

This study showed that for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, and bladder cancer, the impact of pesticide exposure was more significant than smoking, which is a well-known cancer risk factor.

"We highlight that it is the combination of all these pesticides, not just one, that matters," said senior author Isain Zapata, an associate professor at Rocky Vista University.

The researchers emphasised that people are usually exposed to multiple pesticides, not just one.

"In reality, exposure is to a mix of pesticides within a region," Zapata noted. Details on the use of these 69 pesticides can be found through the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

However, there are limitations to the study. The authors declare that the research was conducted in "the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest."