Asbestos fibres in drinking water with special reference to asbestos-cement pipe usage

For many thousands of years asbestos fibers will have been present in some waters used for drinking purposes because a relatively common source of the fibers is naturally occurring asbestos mineral deposits, some of which come in contact with water supplies. However, only in the last two decades or so has it become possible to detect and to identify satisfactorily asbestos in water. Potential sources of asbestos in drinking water and sampling and analysis of asbestos in water are presented.