POPULATION EXPOSURE TO TRICHLOROETHENE AND TETRACHLOROETHENE AND CANCER RISK - 2 CASES OF DRINKING-WATER POLLUTION

Concentrations up to 212 mug/l of trichloroethene (TCE) and 180 mug/l of tetrachloroethene (TeCE) were found in the drinking water from two villages in Finland. To evaluate a possible exposure, urine samples from 95 and 21 inhabitants in these villages and from two control groups of 45 and 15 volunteers were collected. Dichloroacetic acid (DCA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA), the metabolites of TCE and TeCE, were also analyzed. The individuals using contaminated water in one of the villages excreted TCA an average 19 mug/d (<1-110 mug/d) and in the other 7.9 mug/d (<1-50 mug/d), while the controls excreted an average 2.0 mug/d (<1-6.4 mug/d) or 4.0 mug/d (<1-13 mug/d). No increased incidence rates were found in the municipalities in question for total cancer, liver cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, or leukemia.