Chlorinated drinking water linked to bladder cancer
Exposure to chemicals found in drinking water after it has been disinfected with chlorine could be responsible for up to 1 in 20 cases of bladder cancer across the European Union. The number rises to as high as 1 in 5 in some countries, asserts an international team of researchers.
Trihalomethanes (THMs) are one of the most common disinfection by-products (DBPs) found in drinking water after chlorination.
They have been associated in particular with an increased risk for bladder cancer; one meta-analysis suggests that exposure to THMs could increase the risk for the disease by more than 50%, the authors state.
For more about the study, originally published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, see here.