PFAS in Drinking Water Linked to Increased Cancer Incidence

THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) — 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.

Abstract/Full Text