Less risk of intestinal cancer justifies nitrate policy on drinking water

Research has shown that of the annual number of cases of intestinal cancer in Europe, around 3% can be attributed to nitrate in drinking water. For the Netherlands the annual figure is 2% or 100 additional cases. This would mean that health benefits of nitrate policy probably outweigh the related additional costs in agriculture and in the production of drinking water. This estimation, however, is relatively uncertain because reliable epidemiological research is lacking.