Latest news with #JasonSemprini
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Hidden Danger in Drinking Water Revealed in New Study
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Low levels of nitrate in drinking water can be associated with an increased risk of preterm birth and low birthweight, according to a new study. The research published in PLOS Water by Jason Semprini, a professor at Des Moines University College of Health Sciences, Iowa, found that even a level of less than half the level considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could affect birth outcomes. Newsweek has contacted the EPA outside of regular working hours via email for comment. Why It Matters The findings address growing concerns about the adequacy of U.S. drinking water safety standards, particularly for pregnant women, joining a recent study which also said that even levels of chemicals deemed safe may be harming birth outcomes. A national study led by researchers at Columbia University found that levels of arsenic deemed safe were associated with below average birth weight and other adverse birth outcomes, and this study highlights how nitrate can have similar impacts, prompting concern that America's drinking water standards could be harming expecting mothers, and the wider population. File photo: a cup being filled from a drinking water tap. File photo: a cup being filled from a drinking water tap. Gregory Bull/AP What To Know Nitrate is a naturally occurring compound produced during the natural decay of plant matter in soil, and it can get washed by rain out of the soil and into lakes, rivers and streams, as well as seeping down through the soil into groundwater. At high levels, it is recognized that nitrate causes health problems, as the compound can impact the way the body transports oxygen. However, the new study highlights that even at low levels, below what the EPA considers safe, may still be harmful to health. Previous studies have identified risks posed to the general population, including links between drinking water nitrate and colorectal, bladder and breast cancers, and thyroid disease. In his study, Semprini analyzed 357,741 birth records from Iowa between 1970 to 1988 and linked each birth to county-level nitrate measurements taken within 30 days of conception. In that time frame, nitrate levels were discovered to have increased by an average of 8 percent a year, with a mean exposure of 4.2 mg/L across the births assessed. The study found that early prenatal exposure to greater than 0.1 mg/L nitrate, which is only 1 percent of the current EPA limit of 10 mg/L, was associated with an increase in preterm birth, where a baby was born after less than 37 weeks. Meanwhile, early prenatal exposure to greater than 5 mg/L nitrate increased risk of low birth weight babies, at less than 2,500 grams. States with higher levels of nitrate in their drinking water in some areas include Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Central California, Texas, Washington, Idaho, Delaware and Maryland, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In some parts of these states, levels of nitrate in drinking water systems were higher than the EPA's 10 mg/L safety limit. What People Are Saying Jason Semprini, a professor at Des Moines University College of Health Sciences, Iowa, said, per medical news outlet "There is no safe level of prenatal nitrate exposure. The estimated impact from prenatal exposure to nitrates reflects 15 percent of the harm from prenatal exposure to smoking cigarettes. I do not want to diminish the importance of efforts to prevent smoking during pregnancy ... but, I must ask, do we give nitrates 15 percent of the attention we give to smoking?" He added: "The regulatory threshold for nitrates in public water does not consider prenatal exposure and has not been updated since established in 1992. Ignoring the potential harm from lower levels of prenatal nitrate exposure, the current regulatory standards are not adequately protecting America's mothers or children." What Happens Next As the study was limited to one state, making it limited in scope, national and further research is needed to determine the full impact of low-level exposure to nitrate in drinking water systems on public health. Reference Early prenatal nitrate exposure and birth outcomes: A study of Iowa's public drinking water (1970–1988): Semprini J (2025). PLOS Water 4(6): e0000329.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hill
Agricultural contaminants in drinking water linked to higher preterm birth rates: Study
Exposure to a common agricultural contaminant in drinking water, even in small doses, may be linked to increased risks of preterm birth, a new study has found. The pollutant, called nitrate, is also associated with low birth weight in infants whose mothers consumed affected water during pregnancy, according to the study, published on Wednesday in PLOS Water. While nitrate is a naturally occurring compound that is necessary to plants and animals for survival, its widespread use in inorganic fertilizers has increased the compound's presence in the environment. When excess nitrate is consumed by humans, usually via drinking water contaminated by agricultural runoff, the chemical can interfere with the blood's ability to carry oxygen, the study explained. 'There is no safe level of prenatal nitrate exposure,' author Jason Semprini, an assistant professor in public health economics at Des Moines University, said in a statement. While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a maximum threshold for the compound's presence in drinking water in 1992, there has been no official recognition of adverse birth outcomes as an associated outcome. As such, Semprini set out to evaluate possible risks — evaluating 357,741 birth records from Iowa from 1970 to 1988. Linking each birth to county-level nitrate measurements taken within 30 days of conception, he observed that concentrations rose about 8 percent per year. After controlling for seasonal variables and other factors, Semprini found that early prenatal exposure above 0.1 milligrams per liter — just 1 percent of the current EPA limit — was linked to a rise in preterm birth incidence. Meanwhile, early prenatal exposure to nitrate at levels greater than 5 milligrams per liter — half of the EPA limit — was associated with an increased likelihood of low birthweight, according to the study. The research identified no additional risk on birth outcomes at elevated nitrate levels: those greater than the federal regulatory bar. Although Semprini acknowledged that the scope of the study was limited, due to its focus on one state, he said that more recent data from other states and sources could help bolster the strength of the connection. Going forward, he expressed hopes that the research could help inform the reevaluation of current federal standards, which remain unchanged since 1992 — despite a surge in nitrate levels in groundwater nationwide. The current threshold, Semprini continued, could be 'insufficient for protecting the in-utero transmission of water-based nitrate during the first trimester of pregnancy.' While cities nationwide have implemented pilot programs to reduce nitrate contamination in water, such solutions can be expensive and would benefit from 'rigorous cost-benefit analyses' that offer quantifiable support for these initiatives, according to the study. Estimating that the impact from prenatal exposure to nitrate is equivalent to about 15 percent of the harm caused by cigarettes, he pointed out that these pollutants do not receive 15 percent of the attention granted to smoking. 'Ignoring the potential harm from lower levels of prenatal nitrate exposure, the current regulatory standards are not adequately protecting America's mothers or children,' Semprini added.
