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Table 2 Overall impression of potential health hazard for articles that mention colorectal cancer; methemoglobinemia; and preterm birth, low birth weight, or other adverse birth outcomes

From: The potential human health hazard of nitrates in drinking water: a media discourse analysis in a high-income country

Potential health hazard

Total # media items that mention health hazarda

Overall impression of potential health hazard

not specified (%)

unlikely to be a health hazard (%)

likely to be some health hazard (%)

very likely to be some health hazard (%)

Colorectal cancer

44

2 (4.5)

4 (9.1)

34 (77.3)

4 (9.1)

Methemoglobinemia

20

0

3 (15.0)

14 (70.0)

3 (15.0)

Adverse birth outcomes (preterm birth, low birth weight, or other adverse outcomes)

12

0

0

9 (75.0)

3 (25.0)

  1. aEach health hazard was only counted once per media item. However, a media item could mention multiple health hazards or could relate nitrate in drinking water to a potential human health hazard but not actually specify the hazard