Asbestos fibers in wines: relation to filtration process

Asbestos fibers were counted by using the transmission electron microscope in 42 wines from France and abroad. Fifteen samples were found to be significantly positive for chrysotile asbestos. Concentrations were in the range of 2--64 X 10(6) fibers per liter. Technical investigations showed that the abestos content of the wines was related to the process by which they were filtered. On the other hand, we found that abandoning the use of asbestos for filtering wines would not alter the wine from the enological point of view.