Air and water pollution combined with widespread use of food additives and pesticides made cancer the top killer in China last year, according to a recent government survey.

Air and water pollution combined with widespread use of food additives and pesticides made cancer the top killer in China last year, according to a recent government survey.

Cancer topped the list of the 10 most lethal diseases for urban residents last year, followed by cerebrovascular diseases and heart ailments, according to the survey in 30 cities and 78 counties released by the Ministry of Health.

"The main reason behind the rising number of cancer cases is that pollution of the environment, water and air is getting worse day by day," said Chen Zhizhou, a health expert with the cancer research institute affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

"Many chemical and industrial enterprises are built along rivers so that they can dump the waste into water easily," Chen said. "Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides also pollute underground water.

"The contaminated water has directly affected soil, crops and food," he added.

Air pollution is a major cause of lung cancers, as harmful granules enter the lungs and cannot be discharged. Large amounts of formaldehyde and its compounds used in house renovations and furniture has been blamed for deterioration in air quality.

In addition, farmers use additives on pigs, poultry and vegetables to make them grow faster.

The survey, the first of its kind in recent years, showed that the death rate from cancer has risen to 19 percent in cities and 23 percent in rural areas.

In rural areas, 92 percent of fatalities were caused by 10 illnesses, the first three being cancer, cerebrovascular diseases and respiratory diseases.

Reports on "cancer villages" have popped up frequently in recent years.

An investigative story by Xinhua last June said a high rate of cancer deaths has become a reality in areas where the environment is heavily polluted.

In Shangba Village of Guangdong Province, for instance, more than 250 people died of cancer from 1987 to 2005; while in Huangmengying Village of Henan Province, more than 114 people died of cancer between 1991 and 2005.

Similar cases were also reported in other provinces, with the usage of heavily-polluted water being the common factor.

近日，政府的一项调查显示，空气污染、水污染及大范围使用食物添加剂和杀虫剂导致癌症成为去年我国的头号杀手。

卫生部共对30个城市和78个县进行了调查，统计数据显示，癌症去年在我国城镇居民的“十大致命疾病”中排在首位，其次是脑血管疾病和心脏病。

中国医学科学院肿瘤研究所的健康专家陈智周说，“恶性肿瘤高发的主要原因是环境污染，空气和水污染正日益严重。”

他说，“很多化工企业都建在河边以便排污。此外，过度使用化肥和杀虫剂也使地下水遭到污染。”

他说，“被污染的水会直接影响土壤、庄稼和食物。”

空气污染是引发肺癌的主要因素，因为有害颗粒一旦进入肺里就无法排出来。另外，用于房屋装修的原料及家具中所含的大量甲醛和甲醛化合物也会导致空气质量变差。

农民在养猪、养家禽和种菜时用于催肥和催熟的添加剂也是一个重要因素。

该调查显示，城镇地区的癌症死亡率已上升至19%，农村上升至23%。这是近年来这一领域内的首次调查。

农村地区92%的死亡主要由10种疾病引起，排在前三位的是癌症、脑血管疾病和呼吸系统疾病。

近年来，关于“癌症村”的报道越来越频繁。

新华社去年六月的一则调查报道称，癌症高死亡率在一些污染严重的地区已成为事实。

从1987年至2005年，广东省上坝村有250多人死于癌症；从1991年到2005年，河南省黄孟营村至少有114人死于癌症。

其他省份也有过类似的报道，其共同原因是饮用了被严重污染的水。