Summary
Sandra Steingraber, an ecologist and bladder cancer survivor, synthesises peer-reviewed epidemiological and environmental science to argue that external chemical exposures — including agricultural pesticides, industrial pollutants, and water contaminants — are significant and underappreciated drivers of cancer risk. The book critically examines the geography of cancer, drawing on data linking specific chemical exposures to tumour types and questioning the prevailing emphasis on genetic and lifestyle factors. First published in 1997 and updated in this second edition, it is widely regarded as an accessible but scientifically grounded contribution to the environmental health literature.
UK applicability
Although the primary evidence and case studies are drawn from the United States, the book's arguments regarding pesticide regulation, chemical body burden, and precautionary policy are broadly applicable to UK and European contexts, where similar debates around agrochemical use and environmental cancer risk are ongoing.
Key measures
Cancer incidence rates; geographic distribution of cancer clusters; pesticide and chemical exposure data; epidemiological risk associations
Outcomes reported
The book examines epidemiological and ecological evidence linking environmental contaminants — particularly agricultural pesticides and industrial chemicals — to elevated cancer incidence, drawing on both scientific literature and the author's personal experience as a cancer survivor.
Topic tags
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