Colon and rectal cancer incidence and water trihalomethane concentrations in New South Wales, Australia.

Background: There is evidence, although inconsistent, that long term exposure to disinfection by products (DBPs) increases the risk of bowel cancer. No study has been conducted in Australia to examine this association and due to difference in the methods of disinfection the risk can vary across geographical regions and. This study was conducted to analyse the association of trihalomethanes (THMs) in water with colon and rectal cancer in NSW Australia.

Exposure to trihalomethanes in drinking water and small-for-gestational-age births.

Background: Trihalomethanes in drinking water have been associated with higher occurrence of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births, although results have been inconsistent.

Method: We geocoded residential address for mother of live, singleton, term births to 33 water distribution systems in a large metropolitan area of New South Wales, Australia (314,982 births between 1998 and 2004) and classified births into <10th percentile and ≥ 10 percentile of weight for gestational age. Mean trihalomethane exposure was estimated by trimester and for the entire pregnancy based on monthly sampling in each of the 33 water distribution systems.

Spatio-temporal variation in trihalomethanes in New South Wales.

Aim: This paper describes the spatio-temporal variation of trihalomethanes in drinking water in New South Wales, Australia from 1997 to 2007

Method: We obtained data on trihalomethanes (THMs) from two metropolitan and 13 rural water utilities and conducted a descriptive analysis of the spatial and temporal trends in THMs and the influence of season and drought.

Results: Concetrations of monthly THMs in the two metropolitan water utilities of Sydney/Illawarra (mean 66.8 μg/L) and Hunter (mean 62.