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Exposure to drinking water trihalomethanes and nitrate and the risk of brain tumours in young people.

Brain tumours (BTs) are one of the most frequent tumour types in young people. We explored the association between tap water, exposure to trihalomethanes (THM) and nitrate and neuroepithelial BT risk in young people. Analysis of tap water consumption were based on 321 cases and 919 appendicitis controls (10-24 years old) from 6 of the 14 participating countries in the international MOBI-Kids case-control study (2010-2016). Available historical residential tap water concentrations of THMs and nitrate, available from 3 countries for 86 cases and 352 controls and 85 cases and 343 for nitrate, respectively, were modelled and combined with the study subjects’ personal consumption patterns to estimate ingestion and residential exposure levels in the study population (both pre- and postnatal). The mean age of participants was 16.6 years old and 56% were male. The highest levels and widest ranges for THMs were found in Spain (residential and ingested) and Italy and in Korea for nitrate. There was no association between BT and the amount of tap water consumed and the showering/bathing frequency. Odds Ratios (ORs) for BT in relation to both pre- and postnatal residential and ingestion levels of THMs were systematically below 1 (OR = 0.37 (0.08-1.73)) for postnatal average residential THMs higher than 66 mug/L. For nitrate, all ORs were above 1 (OR = 1.80 (0.91-3.55)) for postnatal average residential nitrate levels higher than 8.5 mg/L, with a suggestion of a trend of increased risk of neuroepithelial BTs with increasing residential nitrate levels in tap water, which appeared stronger in early in life. This, to our knowledge, is the first study on this topic in young people. Further research is required to clarify the observed associations.

Authors

  • Zumel-Marne, Angela, Zumel-Marne A, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: angela.zumel@isglobal.org.

  • Castano-Vinyals, Gemma, Castano-Vinyals G, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: gemma.castano@isglobal.org.

  • Alguacil, Juan, Alguacil J, Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales, Salud y Medio Ambiente (RENSMA), Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain. Electronic address: juan.alguacil@dbasp.uhu.es.

  • Villanueva, Cristina M, Villanueva CM, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: cristina.villanueva@isglobal.org.

  • Maule, Milena, Maule M, Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: milena.maule@unito.it.

  • Gracia-Lavedan, Esther, Gracia-Lavedan E, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: esther.gracia@isglobal.org.

  • Momoli, Franco, Momoli F, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ontario, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada. Electronic address: fmomoli@uottawa.ca.

  • Krewski, Daniel, Krewski D, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ontario, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada; McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Risk Science International, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: dkrewski@uottawa.ca.

  • Mohipp, Charmaine, Mohipp C, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. Electronic address: cmohipp@cheo.on.ca.

  • Petridou, Eleni, Petridou E, Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Hellenic Society for Social Pediatrics & Health Promotion, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: epetrid@med.uoa.gr.

  • Bouka, Evdoxia, Bouka E, Hellenic Society for Social Pediatrics & Health Promotion, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: evibouka@hotmail.com.

  • Merletti, Franco, Merletti F, Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: franco.merletti@unito.it.

  • Migliore, Enrica, Migliore E, CPO-Piemonte, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: enrica.migliore@cpo.it.

  • Piro, Sara, Piro S, Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology Branch, Cancer Risk Factors and Lifestyle Epidemiology Unit, Institute for Cancer Research Prevention and Clinical Network-ISPRO, Florence, Italy. Electronic address: s.piro@ispro.toscana.it.

  • Ha, Mina, Ha M, Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, 119 Dandae-ro, Cheonan, Chungnam, Korea. Electronic address: minaha00@gmail.com.

  • Mannetje, Andrea 't, Mannetje A', Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wallace St, Mount Cook, Wellington, New Zealand. Electronic address: A.Mannetje@massey.ac.nz.

  • Eng, Amanda, Eng A, Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wallace St, Mount Cook, Wellington, New Zealand. Electronic address: A.J.Eng@massey.ac.nz.

  • Aragones, Nuria, Aragones N, Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Epidemiology Section, Public Health Division, Department of Health of Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: nuria.aragones@salud.madrid.org.

  • Cardis, Elisabeth, Cardis E, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: elisabeth.cardis@isglobal.org.

YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2021
SOURCE: Environ Res. 2021 Sep;200:111392. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111392. Epub 2021 Jun 1.
JOURNAL TITLE ABBREVIATION: Environ Res
JOURNAL TITLE: Environmental research
ISSN: 1096-0953 (Electronic) 0013-9351 (Linking)
VOLUME: 200
PAGES: 111392
PLACE OF PUBLICATION: Netherlands
ABSTRACT:
Brain tumours (BTs) are one of the most frequent tumour types in young people. We explored the association between tap water, exposure to trihalomethanes (THM) and nitrate and neuroepithelial BT risk in young people. Analysis of tap water consumption were based on 321 cases and 919 appendicitis controls (10-24 years old) from 6 of the 14 participating countries in the international MOBI-Kids case-control study (2010-2016). Available historical residential tap water concentrations of THMs and nitrate, available from 3 countries for 86 cases and 352 controls and 85 cases and 343 for nitrate, respectively, were modelled and combined with the study subjects' personal consumption patterns to estimate ingestion and residential exposure levels in the study population (both pre- and postnatal). The mean age of participants was 16.6 years old and 56% were male. The highest levels and widest ranges for THMs were found in Spain (residential and ingested) and Italy and in Korea for nitrate. There was no association between BT and the amount of tap water consumed and the showering/bathing frequency. Odds Ratios (ORs) for BT in relation to both pre- and postnatal residential and ingestion levels of THMs were systematically below 1 (OR = 0.37 (0.08-1.73)) for postnatal average residential THMs higher than 66 mug/L. For nitrate, all ORs were above 1 (OR = 1.80 (0.91-3.55)) for postnatal average residential nitrate levels higher than 8.5 mg/L, with a suggestion of a trend of increased risk of neuroepithelial BTs with increasing residential nitrate levels in tap water, which appeared stronger in early in life. This, to our knowledge, is the first study on this topic in young people. Further research is required to clarify the observed associations.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION: Copyright (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
LANGUAGE: eng
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2021 Sep
DATE OF ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION: 20210601
DATE COMPLETED: 20210906
DATE REVISED: 20220531
MESH DATE: 2021/09/07 06:00
EDAT: 2021/06/05 06:00
STATUS: MEDLINE
PUBLICATION STATUS: ppublish
LOCATION IDENTIFIER: S0013-9351(21)00686-1 [pii] 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111392 [doi]
OWNER: NLM