PFAS in Drinking Water Linked to Increased Cancer Incidence
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2025 -- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water is associated with cancer incidence, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.
Shiwen Li, from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and colleagues screened for incident cancer in 2016 to 2021 and examined the associations with PFAS contamination in drinking water. County-level age-adjusted cancer incidence was obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Data from the Third (UCMR3; 2013 to 2015) and Fifth (UCMR5 2023 to 2024) Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule were used to obtain PFAS levels in public drinking water systems.
The researchers found an association for PFAS in drinking water with increased cancer incidence in the digestive, endocrine, oral cavity/pharynx, and respiratory systems, with incidence rate ratios ranging from 1.02 to 1.33. The association between perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and oral cavity/pharynx cancer was strongest (incidence rate ratio, 1.33). PFAS was associated with leukemia and cancers in the urinary system, brain, and soft tissues among males and with cancers in the thyroid, oral cavity/pharynx, and soft tissues in females. Based on UCMR3 and UCMR5 data, PFAS in drinking water was estimated to contribute to 4,626 and 6,864 incident cancer cases per year, respectively.
"Our findings highlight the critical importance of developing effective strategies to mitigate cancer risks from exposure to PFAS through drinking water," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted January 2025
Read this next
Prevalence of Most Cancer Risk Factors Unchanged Before, After Pandemic
THURSDAY, April 24, 2025 -- Smoking rates continued to decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, but other major risk factors for cancer remained stable, according to a study...
Cancer Death Rates Higher for Children in Neighborhoods With Persistent Poverty
MONDAY, April 21, 2025 -- The risk for cancer death is higher among children diagnosed in neighborhoods marked by persistent poverty, according to a study published online April...
Cancer Mortality Continuing to Decline
MONDAY, April 21, 2025 -- Overall cancer mortality rates declined from 2001 through 2022, while cancer incidence rates decreased from 2001 through 2013 and stabilized through...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.