Asbestos in drinking water: a status report

The conference is briefly reviewed in the light of its impact on future regulatory decisions regarding the possible control of asbestos fiber in drinking water. The results of animal feeding studies indicate that asbestos fails to demonstrate toxicity in whole-animal lifetime exposures. The epidemiologic evidence of risk from ingestion of water containing asbestos fibers is not convincing, and in view of the lack of confirmation by animal studies, the existence of a risk has not been proven; however occupational gastrointestinal cancer may indicate ingestion risk. Whether or not there is a risk from asbestos in drinking water, however, common sense tells us to deal with an undesirable situation by employing means that are commonly and economically available. Well-known methods can minimize the presence of asbestos fibers in finished drinking water. In the case of natural fiber in raw water, standard or augmented filtration practices are extremely effective. If the source of asbestos fiber is asbestos-cement pipe that is being attacked by corrosive water, then, there is more than sufficient economic reason to correct the corrosivity of the water.