Drinking Water Contamination and the Incidence of Leukemia and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Abstract

>A study of drinking water contamination and leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) incidence (1979-1987) was conducted in a 75-town study area. Comparing incidence in towns in the highest trichloroethylene (TCE) stratum (>5 microg/l) to towns without detectable TCE yielded an age-adjusted rate ratio (RR) for total leukemia among females of 1.43 (95% CI 1.07-1.90). For females under 20 years old, the RR for acute lymphocytic leukemia was 3.26 (95% CI 1.27-8.15). Elevated RRs were observed for chronic myelogenous leukemia among females and for chronic lymphocytic leukemia among males and females. NHL incidence among women was also associated with the highest TCE stratum (RR = 1.36; 95% CI 1.08-1.70). For diffuse large cell NHL and non-Burkitt's high-grade NHL among females, the RRs were 1.66 (95% CI 1.07-2.59) and 3.17 (95% CI 1.23-8.18), respectively, and 1.59 (95% CI 1.04-2.43) and 1.92 (95% CI 0.54-6.81), respectively, among males. Perchloroethylene (PCE) was associated with incidence of non-Burkitt's high-grade NHL among females, but collinearity with TCE made it difficult to assess relative influences. The results suggest a link between TCE/PCE and leukemia/ NHL incidence. However, the conclusions are limited by potential misclassification of exposure due to lack of individual information on long-term residence, water consumption, and inhalation of volatilized compounds.

The non-Hodgkin lymphomas: A review of the epidemiologic literature

“…210,211 Significant positive associations with several NHL types were reported among men and women from New Jersey communities where TCE had been found in drinking water. 215 In contrast, no association was reported in a California community where the drinking water was contaminated with ammonium perchlorate and TCE (SIR 5 1.09, 99% CI: 0.84-1.38). 216 Urinary metabolites of TCE were measured in inhabitants of a Finnish village that had elevated concentrations of TCE in the drinking water.…”

Trichloroethylene and cancer: epidemiologic evidence.

“…In general, these are cross-sectional studies of cancers, often childhood cancers, and drinking water contamination (85)(86)(87)(88)(89)(90)(91)(92)(93)(94)(95)(96)(97)(98)(99). The study with the most sophisticated exposure assessment, conducted in Finland, used U-TCA, a biomarker of TCE exposure in residents, to assess the possible association of drinking TCE-contaminated water and cancer (87).…”

“…The study with the most sophisticated exposure assessment, conducted in Finland, used U-TCA, a biomarker of TCE exposure in residents, to assess the possible association of drinking TCE-contaminated water and cancer (87). In all the other studies, exposures are inferred from measurements of contaminants in the drinking water source (85,89,90) and/or numerical models providing estimates of contaminants in the water (86,99), or proximity to hazardous waste sites containing TCE (88,(91)(92)(93)(94)(95)(96)(97)(98) These studies are of particular interest for at least two reasons. First, these studies have relatively high statistical power (i.e., the ability to detect an effect if one exists) even though exposure levels are relatively low because of the large number of subjects con Tables 10-12, and for the community-based studies in Table 13.…”

Chronic exposure to trichloroethene causes early onset of SLE-like disease in female MRL +/+ mice

“…Trichloroethene (trichloroethylene, TCE), a chlorinated ethene commonly used as an industrial solvent for degreasing metals, is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant (Landrigan et al;Cohn et al, 1994). Environmental and occupational exposure to TCE has been linked to the development of autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), scleroderma, systemic sclerosis, and fasciitis (Lagakos et al, 1986;Byers et al, 1988;Kilburn and Warshaw, 1992;Waller et al, 1994;Reinl, 1957;Saihan et al, 1978;Phoon et al, 1984;Flindt-Hansen and Isager, 1987;Lockey et al, 1987;Brasington and Thorpe-Swenson, 1991;Goon et al, 2001;Brautbar, 2004).…”