Do total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) in drinking water interact with bladder cancer susceptibility genes to increase bladder cancer risk?
Environ Health Perspect · 2022 · PMID 35536285 · DOI 10.1289/EHP9895
Exposure to disinfection by-products in drinking water may interact with a specific genetic variant to increase bladder cancer risk.
The question
Do total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) in drinking water interact with bladder cancer susceptibility genes to increase bladder cancer risk?
What they tested
The study hypothesized that there would be a combined effect on bladder cancer risk from TTHMs and bladder cancer susceptibility variants.
How they did it
The study analyzed data from two case-control studies: the New England Bladder Cancer Study (1,162 controls) and the Spanish Bladder Cancer Study (772 controls). Adjusted logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for TTHMs and genetic variants, with and without interaction terms. Results from both studies were then combined using meta-analysis.
What they found
Of 16 loci, rs907611 at 11p15.5 showed the strongest association in the highest TTHM exposure category in both studies and in meta-analysis. For individuals with the rs907611-GG genotype in the highest exposure category, an odds ratio of 1.66 (95% CI: 1.17, 2.34) was observed. No other genetic variants showed consistent evidence of interaction.
What it means
The study found novel suggestive evidence for a multiplicative interaction between TTHMs and the rs907611-GG genotype, increasing bladder cancer risk.
Limitations
The study notes that further work is needed to replicate and extend this finding and to understand potential molecular mechanisms.
The paper at a glance
| Title | Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water and Bladder Cancer |
|---|---|
| Journal | Environ Health Perspect |
| Year | 2022 |
| PMID | 35536285 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1289/EHP9895 ↗ |
| Topic | Environment, air, water & exposures |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
Where Magellan uses this paper
This citation sits behind the evidence grade on the pages below. Grades are set from the research and are independent of affiliate commissions.
Water Purification (Reverse Osmosis & Ultrafiltration)
The health rationale for RO rests on evidence that the contaminants it removes are linked to disease: long-term exposure to trihalomethanes is associated with bladder cancer, drinking-water nitrate with colorectal cancer, inorganic arsenic with cardiovascular disease and several cancers, lead with cardiovascular…
Shower Dechlorination Filter
The compounds this filter targets - trihalomethanes and related disinfection by-products - have been most consistently linked in human epidemiology to bladder cancer, with meta-analyses reporting roughly 30-60% higher risk among the most exposed and more recent work also suggesting a modest colorectal-cancer…
A reverse osmosis (RO) system purifies drinking water by forcing it under pressure through a…
A reverse osmosis (RO) system purifies drinking water by forcing it under pressure through a…
A shower dechlorination filter is a point-of-use device that reduces free chlorine and chlorine-derived…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Do total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) in drinking water interact with bladder cancer susceptibility genes to increase bladder cancer risk? [Plain-English summary of Environ Health Perspect 2022, PMID 35536285, DOI 10.1289/EHP9895]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d35536285.html@misc{magellan_d35536285,
title = {Do total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) in drinking water interact with bladder cancer susceptibility genes to increase bladder cancer risk?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d35536285.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 35536285; DOI 10.1289/EHP9895; Environ Health Perspect 2022. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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