[Natural water contents and endemic goiter--a review]

A review is given of literature which considers water as the cause of endemic goitre irrespective of its iodine content and which incriminates goitrogenic substances in the water. There are evident connections between the geogenic origin of the water and the incidence of goitre insofar as water from shallow wells from phyllite, gneiss and slate was linked to an elevated goitre incidence as compared to water from igneous rock or from deeper wells with limestone underground. Water which caused goitre was often found to be grossly polluted. So far, nitrate, humic acids and some of their degradation products have been clearly identified to be goitrogenic. Experimental studies by the author emphasize the importance of nitrate as well as of humic acids and their derivatives as waterborne goitrogens.