Objective To determine risk factors of environment and lifestyles involved in acute hematology departments of 29 secondary-care and tertiary-care hospitals in Shanghai. There were 206 hospitalized patients with de novo AML during June 2003 to April 2007 meeting the diagnostic criteria for AML by the World Health Organization, excluding those with definite history of radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and 412 age- and gender-matched controls with non-hematological other diseases from the same hospitals. All the participants were interviewed face-to-face using a standard structured questionnaire,including personal medical history, family medical history, history of medications, traditional Chinese herb medicines, exposure to occupational hazards, lifestyle factors, etc. in the past five years prior to onset of the disease. Conditional univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for AML. Results Logistic regression analysis showed that taking traditional Chinese herb medicine might be a protective factor for AML, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0. 39 and its 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0. 16-0. 98. Potential risk factors for AML included history of diabetes and taking hypoglycemic agents ( OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 0.67 -2. 87), occupational exposure to metal ( OR: 1.73, 95% CI: 0. 77 -3. 91 ), glue, paint and other coating materials, etc. ( OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 0. 93 - 3.2), raising animals (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 0. 79 -2. 24). No association of living within a distance of 100 meters from high voltage power transmission lines, home renovation and decoration in the past year, hair dyeing, smoking,alcohol drinking with AML in adults was found. Conclusions Factors mentioned above such as occupational exposure to metal, glue, paint and other coating materials potentially increase risk for AML in adults,however taking traditional Chinese herb medicine is possibly a protective factor for it.