Subjects were exposed to PCE when it leached from the vinyl lining of drinking-water distribution pipes. Relative delivered dose of PCE was estimated using a model that took into account residential location, years of residence, water flow, and pipe characteristics. Individual epidemiological investigations into the association between chlorination by-products in drinking water and cancer have been suggestive but inconclusive.
Enough studies exist to provide the basis for a meaningful meta-analysis.
An extensive literature search was performed to identify pertinent case-control studies and cohort studies. Consumption of chlorinated water, surface water, or water with high levels of chloroform was used as a surrogate for exposure to chlorination by-products. Relative risk estimates were abstracted from the individual studies and pooled. When studies that adjusted for potential confounders were pooled separately, estimates of relative risks did not change substantially. Title A case-control study of asbestos in drinking water and cancer risk.