There are higher than normal rates of some cancers among residents served by a trio of Bucks and Montgomery county drinking water systems impacted by chemical contamination, according to a new state study.
But the cancer levels fluctuated across the towns, and rates of other cancers are lower than what would be expected, leading the study’s authors to call the results “inconsistent.” “The current results do not indicate consistently higher incidence rates in all service areas for any cancer type,” the study concluded.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has been studying cancer rates in Warminster, Warrington and Horsham over the past several years.
Between 2005 and 2014, the most recent years available, the department found that combined across all water system areas, women had elevated rates of kidney and pancreatic cancer, while men had elevated bladder cancer rates, compared to the rest of Bucks and Montgomery counties.
“In addition, there are not increased rates in other water service areas reviewed in the study.
“As with prior reviews of cancer information for this area, these results do not show a consistent pattern,” the report stated.
The report also noted several limitations to studying cancer rates.
Some of the highest chemical levels were found in private wells, to which residents would have been directly exposed.
The state health department did not indicate whether it will conduct further analyses of local cancer rates.
Results of the blood testing, which will compare local levels to national averages, could be made publicly available this fall.