Assessing the acute gastrointestinal effects of ingesting naturally occurring, high levels of sulfate in drinking water

Concerns regarding the health effects from sulfate in drinking water have been raised because of reports that diarrhea may be associated with ingesting water that contains high levels of sulfate. Of particular concern an groups in the general population (i.e., infants and transients) that may be at greater risk from the laxative effects of sulfate when they switch abruptly to drinking water with high sulfate concentrations. There have been a number of studies of the effects of sulfate in the drinking water of domestic animals (cattle, swine, and poultry), and most report minimal adverse effects from exposure to fairly high levels of sulfate. Anecdotal reports and case studies suggest that people suffer gastrointestinal effects when exposed to drinking water containing high levels of sulfate. However, there have been few experimental studies of the effects of sulfate on adults, and only two epidemiologic studies designed to assess the effects of high levels of sulfate on infants, and it is not yet possible to accurately determine the concentration of sulfate in drinking water that will produce adverse human health effects.