Tap water has been linked to thousands of cases of bladder cancer

Only Spain has a worse result in the entire European Union, scientists warn

By Neil Shaw January 15, 2020

More than 1,300 Britons get bladder cancer every year because of disinfectants in tap water, a new study reveals. Across the European Union, scientists have warned, only Spain has worse statistics. Almost one in twenty cases can be traced to trihalomethanes. (THM), toxic compounds that are produced as a by-product of water chlorination. The chemicals are responsible for tumors in more than 6,500 people a year, in the 26 European countries where the disease is diagnosed. The maximum reported concentrations exceeded the limit of 100 micrograms per liter in nine countries - including the United Kingdom. Spain and Great Britain have the highest number of cases of bladder cancer associated with this poison - 1,482 and 1,356, respectively.

Co-author Dr Manolis Kogevinas said: “Over the past 20 years, major efforts have been made to reduce trihalomethane levels in several European Union countries, including Spain.

"However, current levels in some countries could still lead to a significant incidence of bladder cancer, which could be prevented by optimizing water treatment, better disinfection and distribution practices, and other measures."

In the first such study, the health team of the Institute for Global Health in Barcelona analyzed water levels from water from 26 EU countries - all except Bulgaria and Romania. Coordinator Dr. Cristina Villanueva said: "The biggest challenge was collecting representative data on national levels trihalomethane. We hope that this data will become more available in the future."Earlier research has found a link between long-term exposure to chemicals that are swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin - and bladder cancer.

The latest findings published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives are based on questionnaires sent to bodies responsible for water quality in municipalities. They included data on THM concentration spanning the period from 2005 to 2018, and samples were taken from taps, in the distribution network and at switchboards for water supply. Complementary data were also obtained via the Internet from reports, scientific literature and other sources. Considerable differences between countries were found. The average THM level in drinking water in all countries was significantly below the permissible limit - 11.7 micrograms per liter. But the highest concentrations exceeded the limit of 100 micrograms per liter in Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain – and Great Britain.

Lead author Dr. Iro Evlampidou described the study as "of particular interest to countries with high average levels of trihalomethane concentrations recorded in tap water." The number of THM-attributable bladder cancer cases was estimated by statistical calculation, using international rate data incidence for each country. The researchers estimated that a total of 6,561 cases of bladder cancer per year in the EU were caused by exposure to THM chemicals. Considerable differences were found between countries. The alarming rates in Spain and Great Britain are partly due to the high incidence of the disease and its large population.

The countries with the highest percentage of bladder cancer cases attributable to THM exposure were Cyprus (23%), Malta (17%), Ireland (17%), Spain (11%) and Greece (10%).

Efforts to reduce these problems should focus on countries with the highest average levels of these toxic compounds, the researchers said.

If the 13 countries with the worst data were to reduce THM to the EU average, an estimated 2,868 cases of bladder cancer could be avoided per year, which is about 44%.

 

Original:

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