London – Women who work in certain industries have a higher risk of breast cancer, according to a new study from the University of Stirling in Scotland.

An analysis of 1,006 women with cancer and 1,147 without it showed an elevated breast-cancer risk among women who spent 10 years in jobs that have high exposures to potential carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. High-exposure industries include agriculture, bar/gambling, automotive plastics, food canning and metalworking.

The largest risk for pre-menopausal breast cancer was found in the automotive plastics and food canning industries, according to a press release from science, technology and medicine publisher BioMed Central.

Lower-income women were also at greater risk. Researchers said this may be due to lower-income women working in industries such as manufacturing or agriculture, which have higher exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

BioMed Central published the study online Nov. 19 in the journal Environmental Health.