Reducing the use of carcinogens: the Massachusetts experience

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Toxics use reduction (TUR) is one part of a comprehensive cancer prevention strategy. TUR emphasizes reducing the use of cancer-causing chemicals by improving manufacturing processes and identifying and adopting safer alternatives. This analysis draws on 20 years of data collected from industries reporting to the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) program to assess trends in the use and release of chemicals associated with cancer. We used a master list of known and suspected carcinogens developed from authoritative sources and a list of carcinogens grouped by their association with 11 cancer sites to analyze trends in use and release of chemicals by industrial facilities reporting to the TURA program from 1990 to 2010. The trend analysis shows that reported use and releases of carcinogens by these Massachusetts companies have decreased dramatically over time. Reported use declined 32% from 1990 to 2010, and reported releases declined 93% from 1991 to 2010 (1991 is when additional industrial sectors, including electric utilities, were phased into the program). Particularly large reductions were achieved in the use of trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and cadmium and cadmium compounds. The analysis of groups of chemicals associated with specific cancer sites shows similar trends. Important opportunities for further reductions in many carcinogens, including formaldehyde, hexavalent chromium, and a variety of halogenated compounds are identified. Continued work to minimize the use of carcinogens can help to reduce the burden of cancer in Massachusetts and elsewhere.</jats:p>

Environmental and Economic Strategies for Primary Prevention of Cancer in Early Life

“…35 Analyses of economic activity in the relevant industries indicate that these reductions were not due to industries leaving the state or reducing productivity. …”

Causes, Mechanisms and Prevention of Environmental Diseases

“…As described above, prior to 2015, is known that the toxic action of hydrophiles was based upon their solution in lipophiles and transport by lipophiles across the body's lipophilic membranes. 1 Environmental diseases associated with chronic exposures to lipophilic exogenous toxicants and references for these [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. References are to review publications.…”

“…The ENVDs discussed here are those that have been extensively studied and written on, thus providing a basis for reaching reasonable scientifically certain conclusions. Table 1 contains a list of the ENVDs addressed here and representative references for these [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. The reader is referred to these citations for additional reference material.…”

Industry and geographic patterns of use and emission of carcinogens in Ontario, Canada, 2011–2015

“…These estimates demonstrate the need to reduce the industrial use and emission of carcinogens in Ontario. One approach to achieving reductions constitutes tracking toxic use and emissions (Jacobs et al 2014 ).…”

“…In Ontario, the Toxics Reduction Act of 2009 (TRA) requires industrial facilities in four major manufacturing and mineral processing sectors to track and report their use of toxic substances (i.e., amount entering the facility, amount created and amount contained in product) to the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) (Government of Ontario 2009 ). Ontario’s TRA was modeled after Massachusetts’s Toxics Use Reduction Act of 1989, which has led to significant reductions in the use and release of carcinogens by industrial facilities in that state by 32% and 93%, respectively, from 1990 to 2010 (Jacobs et al 2014 ). Previously, we utilized data from Ontario’s TRA to examine carcinogen use and release trends by cancer site (Slavik et al 2017 ).…”