سامانه کنگره های دانشگاه علوم پزشکی و خدمات بهداشتی و درمانی آذربایجان غربی

صفحه اصلی / بیستمین همایش سالیانه بیماری های شایع گوارش و کبد کودکان ایران و دومین همایش بین المللی چاقی کودکان

Effects of Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water on Children's Health: A Focus on the Digestive System and Liver

نویسندگان :

Amir Mohammadi¹ Saeed Hosseinpoor² Zahra Atafar³ Solmaz Lalehzari⁴

1- دانشگاه علوم پزشکی ارومیه 2- دانشگاه علوم پزشکی ارومیه 3- دانشگاه علوم پزشکی کرمانشاه 4- دانشگاه علوم پزشکی ارومیه

کلمات کلیدی :

Drinking water،isinfection by-products،child health،liver function،congenital anomalies

چکیده :

Background and Aim: Safe drinking water is one of the most fundamental factors in public health. However, the disinfection process—particularly chlorination—leads to the formation of compounds known as Disinfection By-Products (DBPs). These compounds, including trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), have been associated with adverse health effects, especially in children. Methods: This review study was conducted by searching databases such as ScienceDirect and Google Scholar using keywords including: water disinfection by-products, children, digestive system, and liver. After collecting the relevant articles, the findings were summarized and presented. Notably, no studies on this topic have been conducted in Iran. Results: Recent epidemiological studies in Sweden have linked chronic exposure to total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) during pregnancy with an increased risk of small for gestational age (SGA) births and congenital anomalies, particularly affecting the nervous, urinary, reproductive, and musculoskeletal systems. Additionally, the results of an interventional study showed that improving water treatment processes led to a 24% reduction in gastrointestinal illnesses in children—an effect not observed in adults. These findings highlight the heightened vulnerability of children to DBP exposure. Possible mechanisms include chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa, alterations in gut microbiota, and impacts on liver enzymes. Given children's rapid growth and immature metabolic systems, chronic exposure to these compounds may have long-term consequences for their digestive and liver health. Conclusion: Considering the growing body of evidence on the risks of DBPs, especially for vulnerable populations, it is crucial to revise permissible standards and optimize drinking water disinfection processes with children's safety in mind.