He Well water can hide Risks unexpectedly. A research team from Faculty of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Argentinafound that out what kind of water can contain Nitrates which change the function and form of the thyroid.
They can also alter the development of an animal that is sensitive to environmental changes, such as: African clawed frog. For many people, this danger goes unnoticed every day.
But according to the new study 62.3% of exposed frogs never completed their metamorphosisa vital process that only 37.7% were able to complete in the presence of contaminated well water. The data shows noticeable and visible changes and concrete damage to the thyroid.
“Our work shows that chronic pollution from groundwater that emerged in 2010 has faded into the background Suburbs of Buenos Airescaused significant histological and molecular changes in the amphibian thyroid Xenopus laevis“, he said Infobae the professor and doctor Osvaldo Juan Ponzodes Endocrinology laboratory of the UBA Medical Faculty.
Doctors also took part in the study Maria Fernanda Modarelli and Rodrigo Miguel Bilbao. The results were published in the scientific journal Environmental science and pollution research.
The researchers studied the frog species to understand what was happening in the well water.
“The research arose due to the increase in thyroid diseases such as subclinical hypothyroidism and goiter in people who rely on well water,” the expert said. They use water for drinking, cooking and irrigation, without intermediate products or treatments.
Previously, the same authors had conducted an epidemiological study in which they showed that this population exposed to the consumption of groundwater from wells had a prevalence of goiter and subclinical hypothyroidism five to ten times higher than usual.
The focus of the new work was on nitrates, which are compounds that enter water through the use of fertilizers in the field and from waste and interfere with iodine entry into the thyroid gland, which regulates growth and metabolism.
Excess nitrates have already been linked to problems in child development, changes in pregnant women and cancer risks.
These chemical compounds compound over time, causing initially invisible changes, but then health problems arise.
A change in thyroid function affects numerous physiological processes such as growth, metabolism and reproduction.
In addition to nitrates, other pollutants can also increase the damage and go undetected in standard tests.
“The experience was carried out with larvae of Xenopus laevisa sensitive frog to study hormonal changes, since certain stages of its maturation depend exclusively on the level of thyroid hormones,” explained Dr. Ponzo.
They divided the larvae into three groups: one batch with regular water, another with well water, and the third with a known element that prevents iodine from entering the thyroid.
They monitored the conditions and monitored developments week after week. They measured weight, length and life cycle progression and analyzed the thyroid using precise methods.
Well water samples revealed high levels of nitrates, some levels more than twice the levels recommended for human consumption.
“In the samples from 30 meter deep wells, the greatest mineralization and the highest nitrate content were observed: 83 milligrams per liter, a value well above the maximum recommended by the WHO for human consumption,” emphasized Ponzo, who is a member of the Argentine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SADEM).
Only a minority achieved complete metamorphosis. The animals grew less, had weight changes and showed damage to the structure of their thyroid gland.
The study showed that the expression of the NIS transporter, which is responsible for iodine entry into the thyroid cell, showed a significant increase in animals exposed to groundwater and in positive controls at the beginning of metamorphosis.
However, in later stages, NIS expression decreased significantly and even reached barely detectable levels in some exposed individuals.
This suggests a progressive change in the thyroid’s ability to absorb iodine as a result of chronic exposure to water that had high levels of nitrates.
Based on the results, the researchers recommended increasing the analysis of well water before use. They recognized the need to include more controls and monitoring by sex and over time in new research with animal models and humans.
They also called for current limits for nitrate to be reviewed and updated according to emerging risks in order to protect health with clear and up-to-date information. “The necessary measures should be implemented to avoid or reduce the contamination of drinking water groundwater with these endocrine disruptors,” emphasized Ponzo.
In dialogue with Infobaethe doctor Alejandro OlivaDirector of the Environment and Health Program (PROMAS) of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in the National University of Rosariohighlighted the Limitations of transferring the results of the experimental study with frogs to humans.
However, he pointed out that there are also studies in other countries that suggest that nitrate has effects on the thyroid. “In Argentina, the presence of nitrates in groundwater is linked to the use of nitrates Nitrogen fertilizer and feed waste for livestock“, commented Oliva.
He suggested that in areas where there are epidemiological warning signs, such as the rise of Hypothyroidism“Nitrate levels should be assessed in both drinking water and residents’ urine samples so that control measures can be taken if high levels are detected.”
In addition, Oliva emphasized “the need to monitor drinking water in agricultural and rural areas, as nitrate levels are extremely unstable and can vary depending on the source and season.”
He emphasized that “it is important to have monitoring systems and strategies in place to remove nitrates when levels exceed recommended limits.”
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