Hazards in the chemical industry

Even a cursory inspection of the press might suggest that the U.S. is in the grip of a rampant cancer epidemic. Reported causes are not hard to find: poisons in the air and water, poisons in food, poisons in the workplace. An examination of the number of accounts of cancer in the news media reveals that they have increased dramatically in the past decade. Underlying data about the risk of cancer, however, indicate a somewhat different trend. According to the National Cancer Institute, the annual incidence of cancer has in fact been increasing since 1970, but at a rate of only 1 to 2% a year. Overall, trends in national air and water quality also are beginning to improve. Not all chemicals encountered in U.S. daily life, moreover, are likely to cause cancer. The 1977 annual report of the Council on Environmental Quality points out: "It is important to note that carcinogenic chemicals are ...