"The state is one of a handful where cancer diagnoses are on the rise."

"Iowa is among a few states where cancer diagnoses are on the rise. A new analysis from the Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement and the Iowa Environmental Council says that environmental exposures are partially to blame.

High pesticide and fertilizer use in the top corn-producing state, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in public drinking water supplies and elevated radon levels in soil and water threaten the health of residents and likely interact to drive up Iowa’s cancer rate, the second highest in the nation, the report’s authors say.

“These environmental risk factors are things that, by and large, we don’t have much ability to dramatically impact ourselves,” said Adam Shriver, director of wellness and nutrition policy at the Harkin Institute and one of the report’s lead authors. “They’re being imposed on the citizens of Iowa, really, without their input. And so it’s a basic fairness issue.”

People living in agriculturally intensive landscapes like Iowa face environmental contaminants and possible cancer risk factors, said Shriver, but much of the discussion about cancer prevention from state leaders has focused on individual behaviors, like smoking, diet and alcohol use."

Anika Jane Beamer reports for Inside Climate News March 25, 2026. [2]