Exposure to Trihalomethanes Linked to Chronic Kidney Disease
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 8, 2025 -- Exposure to trihalomethanes, especially brominated trihalomethanes, in residential community water supplies (CWS) is associated with an increased risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study published online July 2 in JAMA Network Open.
Danielle N. Medgyesi, Ph.D., from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City, and colleagues conducted a prospective cohort study to examine long-term exposure to trihalomethanes in residential CWS and its association with CKD risk using data from the California Teachers Study, including female teachers and administrators enrolled between 1995 and 1996 with data linked to mortality and health care records.
The study sample include 89,320 female participants with 6,242 cases of CKD. The researchers observed a clear exposure-response association between trihalomethanes and CKD risk in flexible spline-based models, with the highest risk seen for brominated trihalomethanes. For brominated trihalomethanes at the highest two exposure categories, the hazard ratios for CKD risk were 1.23 and 1.43, respectively. The largest contributor to the association of the overall mixture with CKD risk was brominated trihalomethanes, followed by uranium, arsenic, and chloroform (52.9, 35.4, 6.2, and 5.5 percent, respectively).
"These findings are supported by substantial experimental evidence and carry important public health implications given the widespread use of water chlorination and the growing global burden of CKD," the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2025
Read this next
Empagliflozin Has Kidney Protective Effects in Acute Myocardial Infarction
THURSDAY, June 26, 2025 -- Empagliflozin has kidney protective effects and reduces heart failure outcomes across baseline kidney function among patients with acute myocardial...
Biomarker Panel Improves Prediction of CKD Progression in Children
TUESDAY, June 24, 2025 -- A biomarker panel can improve prediction of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in children, according to a study published in the June issue of the...
Worse Outcomes Seen for Unvaccinated Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19, AKI
WEDNESDAY, June 18, 2025 -- For patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection and acute kidney injury (AKI), those who are unvaccinated have worse outcomes in terms of kidney...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.