Water Quality and Kidney Health in Farming Communities

Since the turn of the century, there has been an increase in the frequency of chronic interstitial nephritis in agricultural communities. This is particularly evident in young farm workers from equatorial regions, where the prevalence of chronic kidney disease cannot be explained by classical risk determinants or exposure to heat stress alone. Potentially causal agents have included organic and inorganic drinking water contaminants. This review explores geographic variability in exposure to these drinking water contaminants, with an emphasis on understanding their role in kidney injury in the United States.