China's Toxic Smog to Blame for 8-Year-Old Girl's Lung Cancer Diagnosis

Smog pollution has become a serious problem in China. It's estimated that levels of deadly pollutions have risen to 40 times the recommended exposure limit in Beijing and other cities around the area, striking fear in parents who are taking alternate steps to prevent their children from the harsh conditions of urban life in China.

Unfortunately, in China's Jiangsu Province, an 8-year-old girl has already developed lung cancer from the harsh environmental effects, which has also been identified as a threat to national security apart from a growing health hazard in the country.

The child allegedly spends most of her life near a busy road in Jiangsu, a province east of mainland in China. Doctors from the local cancer hospital believe that constant exposure to dust and other particles are what caused her lung disease.

The American Cancer Society notes that this disease typically affects individuals over 70, making this girl the youngest to be affected by such a health issue. Unfortunately, health experts believe there may be more cases just like hers. However, they may not have been identified yet.

A report by the South China Morning Post cites statistics by the Beijing Health Bureau, showing that lung cancer is the leading cause of death in China. Between 2001 and 2010, lung cancer deaths rose by 56 percent in the nation's capital, the leading cause of cancer deaths among men, and the second-leading cause among women, followed by breast cancer. The statistics also showed that lung cancer accounts for one-fifth of all types of cancer among patients in Beijing.

As the area underwent a massive construction and industrialization boom, making it the world's second-biggest economy to date, such improvements can also be linked to harsh environmental hazards that have increased cancer risks for those living in urban areas. 

As the central government continues to express concerns not only for citizen's health but also for national security as cameras cannot properly see through the smog, officials are taking extra steps to provide security. 

"As the visibility drops below three metres, even the best camera cannot see beyond a dozen metres," Kong Zilong, a senior project engineer and an expert in video surveillance technology said, via the Daily Mail. 

However, cameras with infared images can also only see so far.