Burning wood indoors linked to cancer risk

PARIS (Reuters) - Smoke from burning wood or stir-frying food indoors could potentially cause cancer and people in poor countries are at most risk, research showed on Wednesday.

Scientists at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said indoor emissions from burning biomass fuel -- such as wood, charcoal and dung -- as well as emissions from high-temperature frying, could lead to cancer.

Estimates are that about half the world's population uses wood or coal for cooking and heating, often in poorly ventilated spaces.

"It is therefore of enormous public health importance that we call attention to the health risks of what is daily practice for so many people," Dr Peter Boyle, of the Lyon-based IARC, said in a statement.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 90 percent of households use solid fuels such as wood, according to the study, while stir-frying, deep-frying and pan-frying, which involve heating oil to high temperatures, are most common in East Asia.

The summary of the IARC study was published online by the Lancet Oncology journal. The results will also be presented at the Society for Risk analysis annual meeting in the United States.