New Delhi, Jul 25 (IANS): While pesticides are essential for ensuring high crop yields and food security, they also increase the risk of cancer akin to smoking, finds a study.

The research published in the journal Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society found that even non-farmers living in areas with heavy agricultural activity are exposed to many pesticides.

The study revealed that in such environments, the impact of pesticide use on cancer incidence rivalled that of smoking, particularly for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukaemia, and bladder cancer.

"In our study, we found that for some cancers, the effect of agricultural pesticide usage is comparable in magnitude to the effect of smoking," Isain Zapata, associate professor at the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Colorado, US.

"We present a list of major pesticide contributors for some specific cancers, but we highlight strongly that it is the combination of all of them and not just a single one that matters," Zapata emphasised.

The study included data on 69 pesticides from the US Geological Survey, acknowledging that people are generally exposed to a "cocktail" of pesticides rather than just one.

This comprehensive evaluation marks the first large-scale study to assess cancer risk from a population-based perspective, comparing it with a well-established risk factor like smoking.

Zapata noted the importance of considering the broader impact of pesticide use, including geographic factors. For example, regions like the Midwest, known for corn production, showed more pronounced associations between pesticide exposure and cancer incidence.

The study aims to raise awareness of the risks posed by pesticide use, even for those not directly involved in agriculture.