[Cancer in the population under 19 years of age caused by chemical contamination in drinking water: a systematic review].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between exposure to the main chemical contaminants in drinking water and the rise in cancer cases among the population under age 19.


METHODS
A systematic review was undertaken of the scientific literature compiled in the MEDLINE (via PubMed©), EMBASE©, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library Plus, Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS), SCOPUS, and SCIRUS databases. The descriptors used were "neoplasms" and "water pollution, chemical," limited to studies that included people under age 19. Articles selected were of any type in any language, from the inception of the indexing of the primary source until March of 2011.


RESULTS
The search generated 266 articles, from which 20 were selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Drinking water contaminants analyzed were arsenic, disinfection byproducts, nitrogen compounds, petroleum derivatives, agricultural pesticides, radionuclides, and others of industrial origin. The majority of the studies did not find a significant link between exposure to drinking water contaminants and the increase in cancer cases in the under-19 population segment. In some of the studied populations a significant dose-response relationship was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Taking into account that the articles located were insufficiently up-to-date, more studies are required in order to know the effect of drinking water contamination on cancer rates, in particular among children and youths, who are more susceptible.
Departamento de Salud Pública e Historia de la Ciencia y Ginecología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Valencia, España.
Vanessa
V
Oller-Arlandis
Javier
J
Sanz-Valero
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D060766:Drinking Water; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced*; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*
D060766:Drinking Water; D014873:Water Pollutants