Too much of a good thing? Nitrate from nitrogen fertilizers and cancer.
Nitrate levels in water supplies have been increasing in many areas of the world; therefore, additional studies of populations with well-characterized exposures are urgently needed to further our understanding of cancer risk associated with nitrate ingestion. Future studies should assess exposure for individuals (e.g., case-control, cohort studies) in a time frame relevant to disease development, and evaluate factors affecting nitrosation. Estimating N-nitroso compounds formation via nitrate ingestion requires information on dietary and drinking water sources of nitrate, inhibitors of nitrosation (e.g., vitamin C), nitrosation precursors (e.g., red meat, nitrosatable drugs), and medical conditions that may increase nitrosation (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease). Studies should account for the potentially different effects of dietary and water sources of nitrate and should include the population using private wells for whom exposure levels are often higher than public supplies.
Ward
Mary H
MH
Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Executive Plaza South, Room 8006, 6120 Executive Boulevard, Bethesda 20892-7240, Maryland, USA.
D000383:Agriculture; D035843:Biomedical Research; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005308:Fertilizers / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000187:drug effects; D014881:Water Supply
D002273:Carcinogens; D005308:Fertilizers; D009566:Nitrates; D009602:Nitrosamines; D009584:Nitrogen
Cancer Causes Control. 2007 Dec;18(10):1141-51
17717631
Cancer Causes Control. 1997 May;8(3):292-308
9498894
Cancer Res. 1989 Jun 1;49(11):3117-21
2720669
Mutat Res. 1988 Dec;202(2):307-24
3057363
Eur J Epidemiol. 1995 Feb;11(1):15-21
7489769
Epidemiology. 2001 May;12(3):327-38
11338313
Biochem Pharmacol. 2004 Aug 1;68(3):523-30
15242818
J Natl Cancer Inst. 1976 Nov;57(5):1015-20
1003537
Nutr Cancer. 1998;31(2):106-10
9770721
Environ Health Perspect. 1991 Aug;94:83-9
1954945
Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Nov;113(11):1607-14
16263519
Environ Sci Technol. 2006 Dec 15;40(24):7834-40
17256535
Epidemiology. 2003 Mar;14(2):183-90
12606884
Eur J Epidemiol. 2001;17(5):443-7
11855578
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2002 Oct;11(10 Pt 1):1019-24
12376502
Am J Epidemiol. 2004 Apr 1;159(7):693-701
15033647
Epidemiology. 2003 Nov;14(6):640-9
14569178
Toxicol Lett. 1994 Jun;72(1-3):365-74
8202954
Environ Health Perspect. 1991 Aug;94:189-93
1954930
Mutat Res. 1999 Jul 16;428(1-2):353-61
10518007
J Occup Environ Med. 2005 Dec;47(12):1260-7
16340707
Environ Health Perspect. 1996 May;104(5):522-8
8743440
Br J Cancer. 1998 Jul;78(1):129-35
9662263
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1992 Sep-Oct;1(6):455-61
1302557
Environ Health Perspect. 1998 Aug;106(8):459-63
9681972
Int J Epidemiol. 1994 Jun;23(3):451-7
7960368
Epidemiology. 2006 Jul;17(4):375-82
16699473
Cancer Lett. 1995 Jun 29;93(1):17-48
7600541
Environ Health Perspect. 2004 Jul;112(10):A556-63
15238298
Environ Health Perspect. 2001 Jun;109(6):551-6
11445506
Chemosphere. 2006 Jan;62(4):559-64
16095667
Int J Epidemiol. 1984 Sep;13(3):324-31
6490303
Lancet Oncol. 2006 Aug;7(8):628-9
16900606
Eur J Cancer Prev. 1997 Jun;6(3):226-68
9306073
Epidemiology. 1996 Sep;7(5):465-71
8862975