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Asbestos – Definitely Not Dietary Fibre
If ingesting asbestos is potentially carcinogenic – and all of our old water pipes are made of asbestos cement resulting in high levels of asbestos in our drinking water – it is time to determine just what level of asbestos in drinking water is ‘safe’.
Everybody knows breathing asbestos is bad for you… linked to malignant mesothelioma and other lung cancers, asbestos has been completely banned for use or import in Australia since 2003, with significant discontinuation of use in building products starting in the early 80s. Widely used asbestos products included roof tiles, linoleum, fencing materials, window putty, rubber gaskets, paints, thermal insulation and more. Even after the widespread ban on all asbestos products was put in place, asbestos containing products are still present in existing buildings, asbestos cement water pipes, and imported products that should be asbestos free (eg. crayons, gaskets, paints etc).
The majority of the publicity surrounding asbestos focuses on the effect on the lungs, with recommendations about masks to prevent inhalation, stringent conditions for transport, and air monitoring to determine risk. To the casual observer it would appear that inhalation is the only hazard associated with asbestos, and current global and local guidelines reinforce this notion.
The Dept of Health, WA states that “While studies have clearly shown that asbestos poses a serious health risk when it is dry and inhaled, there is very little evidence to show that asbestos fibres will cause any harm when they are wet and swallowed. The effects of asbestos in the water supply have been studied extensively, and results have not shown an elevated risk of asbestos-related disease. In addition, although inhaled asbestos is a known carcinogen (cancer-causing substance), asbestos when swallowed is considered to pose very little, if any, carcinogenic risk to human health.” Additionally, the Dept of Health, WA mentions that the 2004 Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (2004 ADWG) and World Health Organisation have not set a guideline value for asbestos due to the absence of evidence that asbestos is hazardous to health.
“There is therefore no consistent, convincing evidence that ingested asbestos is hazardous to health, and it is concluded that there is no need to establish a guideline for asbestos in drinking-water.”
So, if ingesting asbestos is potentially carcinogenic, and all of our old water pipes and tanks are made of asbestos cement resulting in high levels of asbestos in our drinking water, is it time to determine just what level of asbestos in drinking water is ‘safe’?
Dosage effects have been inadequately studied, which makes developing guidelines very difficult. It is important that, instead of equating lack of evidence to lack of risk, we acknowledge the possibility of risk associated with ingesting asbestos and begin the journey of understanding and regulating asbestos in drinking water before many more people are subjected to the effects.
