Cancer Risk from Drinking Water

An exploration by Charles Fareira
December 20, 2001

The three articles discussed the relationship between cancer and different forms of drinking water contamination. One described a study done in Tom's River, NJ which linked contamination from waste and factory emissions into the water supply which appeared to increase the rate of leukemia for young children. The second (http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/05/05152001/nitrates_43528.asp) discussed the link between increased levels of nitrates in drinking water and increase bladder cancer rates. The source contamination was runoff from rural area where the nitrate increased due to farm land runoff getting into wells and ground water. The third article (http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/child1998/full/Suppl-3/867-873carroquino/carroquino-full.htmlfocused solely on all types of cancer rate and the preventable environmental causes of cancer in children under 15. Again there was a strong link in increased pollutants and increased cancer rate. It looked at other contributors such as heredity as well. Well, all three articles supported a direct link between contaminants and child cancer rate. It seem that in all cases tens of millions of dollars are being spent on research one identifying the source and statistics of these effects though little seems to be done other than settlements with the effected families.  I would personally rather see more done to stop this trend and prevent other from getting sick in the future.  Make the guilty parties stop the pollution rather than making families or the medical field rich at the cost of a life and stop the further contamination. Finally I say is tap water ever safe to drink. I live in Pawcatuck, CT and on at least three different date we had brown water come through out tap. This is only the visible contamination what's in the water that could harm me when it appears clear?

Bibliography

The U.S. EPA Conference on Preventable Causes of Cancer in Children: A Research Agenda, Environmental Health Perspectives 106, Supplement 3, June 1998
http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/child1998/full/Suppl-3/867-873carroquino/carroquino-full.html

Study Links Emissions, N.J. Cancer (Dec 18 2001)By JOHN CURRAN TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) New from AP
http://member.compuserve.com/news/health.jsp

Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination (CHEEC) Nitrate in drinking water causes bladder cancer,Tuesday, May 15, 2001
http://www.cheec.uiowa.edu/