London: A petrol pump near your home could raise your cancer risk, a new study has warned.
Researchers in Spain have carried out the study and found that buildings within a 100-metre radius of petrol pumps are exposed to potentially harmful pollution -- in fact, they found raised traces of a cancer-causing chemical in the homes.
"Some airborne organic compounds -- such as benzene, which increases the risk of cancer -- have been recorded at petrol stations at levels above the average levels for urban areas where traffic is the primary source of emission," lead researcher Marta Doval of Murcia University was quoted by the media as saying.
The study has shown that the air at petrol stations and in their immediate surroundings is above all affected by emissions stemming from evaporated vehicle fuels -- unburnt fuels from fuel loading and unloading operations, refuelling and liquid spillages.
The researchers measured the levels of "typical traffic" pollutants in different parts of the urban area of Murcia, and calculated the quotients for the levels of an aromatic compound (benzene) and a hydrocarbon (n-hexane) at three Murcia petrol stations to find the distance at which the service stations stop having an impact.
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