Studies on pollutants from processed water: collection from three stations and biologic testing for toxicity and carcinogenesis.

Abstract

Pollutants in drinking water, absorbed on carbon filters and eluted by chloroform and by alcohol, were collected for 1 year from the supply of New Orleans, La., which had a high bladder cancer incidence, and from 2 stations supplying Birmingham, Ala., which had a low bladder cancer incidence. The water from all 3 sources were processed for human consumption before being passed through the carbon filters. The toxicity of extracts of pollutants was studied by subcutaneous injection in newborn albino mice. The carcinogenicity of extracts, administered at tolerated doses, was tested by the same method. Tumors attributable to the pollutants were not induced in the tissues examined, including the bladder, during the experimental period of 78 weeks. Pollution of drinking water by chemicals and some aspects of detection of carcinogenic pollutants are briefly discussed. The question of whether drinking water contains agents that can produce cancer in man is still undetermined and requires further study.