Asbestos in water

Methodologies for Determining the Sources, Characteristics, Distribution, and Abundance of Asbestiform and Nonasbestiform Amphibole and Serpentine in Ambient Air and Water

“…Excluding those likely to contain EMP cleavage fragments associated with disposal of tailings in Lake Superior, data demonstrated that that while generally less than 1 MF/L, both amphibole and serpentine EMP are ubiquitous. A summary of available data provided by Webber and Covey (1991) affirms the ubiquity of these particles in surface water in major U.S. cities. Results indicated that prior to 1991 more than 80% of the major cities in the United States had EMP levels in drinking water that were less than 1 MF/L, 12% had levels between 1 and 10 MF/L, and the remaining 8% had levels exceeding 10 MF/L (method 100.1).…”

“…Representative data are presented in Table 11. Comprehensive reviews are provided by Millette et al (1979) and Webber and Covey (1991). Asbestos EMP in drinking water have not been demonstrated to present a risk to human health (Truhaut and Chouroulinka, 1989;DHHS Committee, 1987;Gamble, 2008;, but might enter the air through use of water for activities such as watering gardens, washing cars, or washing dishes that result in evaporation.…”

“…Webber and Covey (1991) reported that there were, at the time of writing, more than 2 × 10 6 miles of asbestoscontaining piping worldwide and approximately 400,000 miles of pipe carried U.S. public water. Asbestos contamination was found in the Village of Woodstock, NY, public water supply in 1985 at levels between 0.725 and 1850 MF/L; chrysotile constituted 90% of the measured asbestos fibers, and crocidolite 10% (Weber et al, 1989) (Table 11).…”

“…A study of EMP in surface water in the Rio Grande Valley that supplies drinking water to New Mexico identified chrysotile at levels from <1 to >2000 MF/L attributable to erosion of serpentinite in the watershed (Oliver and Murr, 1977). Webber and Covey (1991) noted that asbestos in most natural streams and lakes is at less than 1 MF/L. However, concentrations of chrysotile ranging from 10 to more than 1000 MF/L in surface waters were measured in parts of the eastern United States, California, and Quebec (Canada), attributed in part to serpentinite bedrock.…”

The concentration and prevalence of asbestos fibres in Christchurch, New Zealand's drinking water supply

“…Asbestos fibres in drinking water and beverages have been reported since the 1970s (Cunningham & Pontefract 1971;Levy et al 1976;Murr & Kloska 1976;Harrington et al 1978;Illette et al 1980;Kanarek et al 1980;Meigs et al 1980;Millette et al 1980;Conforti et al 1981;Toft et al 1981;Webber & Covey 1991) but are generally regarded by the World Health Organization as not of prominent concern (Hanley 2011;WHO 2011;Cheng et al 2020). Applying a precautionary principle the USA regulations within the Clean Water Act of 1977 enacted a regulatory threshold of 7 MFL of long asbestos fibres (i.e., .10 μm in length), but this does not restrict the amount of short asbestos fibres (i.e., .0.5 μm in length).…”