Metal Content In Drinking Water Can Cause Cancer, This Is What Experts Say

Illustration of drinking water containing metal (Freepic)

JAKARTA - A recent study in Texas found that low levels of arsenic water, below the 10-part regulatory threshold per billion (ppb), could increase health risks, including the risk of kidney cancer.

In this study, researchers from Texas A&M University School of Public Health examined the relationship between arsenic levels in drinking water and kidney cancer levels in 240 regions in Texas. Artonics in the form of toxic metals are naturally found in groundwater in Texas and other areas.

Kidney cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the United States, with an event rate that has been adjusted according to age of 17.2 per 100 thousand people from 2017 to 2021.

Several factors could increase risks, including male gender, African-American ethnicity, or family history with this disease.

In addition, lifestyles such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity, as well as health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and advanced kidney disease, can also increase risks.

Studies also show exposure to certain chemicals, such as trichloroethylene, can increase the risk of kidney cancer. There is also a dose-response relationship between arsenic levels in drinking water and the risk of kidney cancer, where the risk of cancer increases by 4 percent every time twice as much as arsenic levels.

Researchers also note that moderate and high (>5 ppb) levels of arsenic exposure increases the risk of cancer by 6 percent and 22 percent, respectively.

"Some public water systems are poorly managed so they can expose customers to arrests, but 40 million people in the United States who rely on private wells are very vulnerable," said Taehyun Roh, of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics involved in the study.

"This study shows that even arsenic exposure to low levels of drinking water can be attributed to an increased risk of kidney cancer, which is in line with previous studies linking this exposure to lung, bladder, and skin cancer," Roh added, as quoted by Antara.

The researchers warned the study only showed inter-factor relations, but did not prove causal. They stressed the need for further studies to assess the influence of other factors such as lifestyle, family history with kidney cancer, and other sources of arrestic exposure.

However, based on these findings, the researchers called for stricter regulations and focused public health interventions.

"Our findings show that arsenic reduction in exposure can reduce the incidence of kidney cancer. This can be achieved through better regulatory supervision and targeted public health interventions," said Nishat Tasnim Hasan, one of the researchers involved.