The Toronto Cancer Prevention Coalition's forum “Cancer: Making Prevention the Cure” took place on November 27th at Ryerson University, a forum dedicated to exploring how preventative measures can help reduce disease in our city. A diverse range of issues related to cancer were explored at the forum, from Nadia Gulamhusein's personal tale of self-empowerment following her cancer diagnosis as a young adult, to Rick Smith's self-experimentation on how our everyday consumer decisions affect the level of toxins in our bodies.
Detox Toronto campaigner Heather Marshall for the Toronto Environmental Alliance discussed the connection between toxic industry emissions in Toronto and its impact on human health. The City of Toronto has a municipal by-law which requires businesses to report emissions of these harmful substances which arise out of their industrial activities.
The program which Toronto uses to fulfill this obligation is called ChemTRAC. In 2012, over 1500 facilities in Toronto reported emissions of various chemicals, many including possible and probable carcinogenic substances. When inhaled, these substances likely increase one's level of exposure to cancer-causing elements.
Although daunting, Toronto's “right-to-know” Environmental Reporting and Disclosure bylaw has enabled us to access the information we need to better protect ourselves and make Toronto a safer and healthier place to live for everyone. One way to do this is by building on our urban forest.
Trees in the city certainly have a role to play in helping protect Torontonians from exposure to cancer risk.
Our green space is more than just beautiful - it provides an abundance of ecological services. Purifying the air we breathe and the water in which we swim and drink are but a few examples. The cumulative benefits of these life-sustaining services provided by the urban canopy have been valued at more than $80-million annually. Ecological services such as these help to remediate some of the negative health effects brought on by industrial activities and the resulting pollution.
Take a look at this aerial view of Toronto compared with the map of emissions of carcinogenic chemicals above. The existing pockets of forest and green cover intercept 1,905 metric tonnes of air pollution annually, including carbon monoxide (CO), nitrous oxide (N02), ozone (03), particulate matter (PM10) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). We need the urban forest to reduce preventable causes of cancer resulting from exposure to toxins from industry. Who would have thought that the big maple you pass on your daily commute did you so much good?
Next time you pass by your favourite tree, appreciate it for more than its scenic value. That tree, among the thousands of others in Toronto, helps our community live healthier lives in the city.
Beeta Senedjani is an Environmental Studies graduate from the University of Toronto, currently working in the renewable energies sector. She enjoys exploring the Rouge Park, and camping trips along Lake Simcoe.