Lawther P J, Waller R E
Environ Health Perspect. 1978 Feb;22:71-3. doi: 10.1289/ehp.782271.
The substantial reduction in air pollution, and particularly in components such as benzo[a]pyrene in urban areas of the United Kingdom during the past few decades has presented an opportunity to consider further the possible role of carcinogens in the air in relation to lung cancer. While the overall trends in lung cancer mortality have undoubtedly been dominated by changes in smoking, the marked contrasts that at one time existed between these death rates in urban and rural areas have gradually diminished. This may indicate that air pollution contributed appreciably to the urban/rural differences in lung cancer at one time, but it is still difficult to disentangle any effects it may have had from those of changing smoking habits.
在过去几十年间，英国城市地区空气污染显著减少，尤其是苯并[a]芘等污染物的减少，这为进一步探讨空气中致癌物与肺癌之间的潜在关系提供了契机。虽然肺癌死亡率的总体趋势无疑主要受吸烟习惯变化的影响，但曾经存在的城乡地区肺癌死亡率的显著差异已逐渐缩小。这可能表明，空气污染曾在一定程度上导致了城乡肺癌差异，但仍难以将其影响与吸烟习惯的变化所产生的影响区分开来。
