Running head: Cancer – Causing chemicals 1

Cancer- causing chemicals

Name

Institution
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Cancer-causing chemicals

The reason behind a person developing cancer is not usually possible to be determined.
However, research has shown that certain factors can lead to an increase in a person’s possibility
to develop cancer. Nevertheless, some factors contain a lower risk of developing cancer. The
consensus from scientific research has been developed that there are chemicals such as pesticides
that cause cancer to people especially farmers,

Pesticides are referred to as chemicals that assist plants to grow through the control of
bugs (insecticides), pests such as weeds (herbicides), diseases, fungi, mice, bacteria, mold, and
viruses. Pesticides are mainly used in commercially grown vegetables, and fruits. In the USA,
the use of pesticides is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA).

Similarly, other drugs such as antibiotics are used to act as a protective measure on
livestock to contract diseases, and from parasites. Animals may be given extra hormones which
help them increase milk and meat production.

By controlling these sources of diseases, antibiotics and pesticides assist the increase of
food growth and prevent food loss. However, most people question the safety of these food
product chemicals that they take into their body system. Their concern is on the residues of
pesticides found in vegetables, fruits, and animal feed which can also be found in fish, meat,
dairy products, and poultry. Health problems concerns have developed as there has been an
increase in breast cancer as a result of these chemical residues found on food products
(Lewandowska & Laskowska, 2019).

There have been studies on whether chemicals used in food production cause cancer. But
none has been able to show the connection between exposure to pesticides on food products and
the increased risk of cancer, breast cancer in people. Farmworkers, especially young female
workers are still at a higher risk of being exposed to different medical conditions. Eating food
containing extra chemicals is unhealthy.
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Further arguments point out that little amounts of herbicides or pesticides on the food we
eat cannot cause an increase in cancer risk to people since the levels of these chemicals on these
foods are low (Fung & Menon, 2018). Glyphosate is a weed killer (herbicide) chemical. It is
used in farms and home gardens often. The use of glyphosate chemicals at low levels does not
increase cancer risks. The Food standard Agency checks the safety of food products in the UK.
They monitor the levels of pesticides in food and ensure they do not cause harm to human health.

To lower the chances of being exposed to pesticides grown food, you might consider
organically grown foods and organic daily products. Organic means that plants have been
produced without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides or modifications of genetics.
Organic also refers to animal products such as meat, dairy products, poultry, and eggs that are
also produced without being they are clean and safe to eat. Given growth hormones and
antibiotics.

In conclusion, very small levels of pesticides can remain in or on vegetables, fruits,

grains, and other foods considerably as food crops are exposed to light, transported, washed, and
cooked. Low levels of herbicides, antibiotics, and pesticides in food or at the farms don’t result
in cancer. But extra chemicals or high levels in food production lead to cancer in human bodies.
Those working with high levels of herbicides and chemicals may contain increased chances of
getting cancer.
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References

Fung, F., Wang, H. S., & Menon, S. (2018). Food safety in the 21st century. Biomedical
journal, 41(2), 88-95.

Lewandowska, A. M., Rudzki, M., Rudzki, S., Lewandowski, T., & Laskowska, B. (2019).
Environmental risk factors for cancer-review paper. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental
Medicine, 26(1).