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If drinking water contains very small amounts of asbestos, people are not at increased risk of cancer. Measures are therefore not necessary, the health council reported on Tuesday after an investigation.
“Even at significantly higher concentrations, there is no increased risk of, for example, stomach and intestinal tumors,” says the council.
Asbestos cement was previously used for drinking water pipes. This has no longer been allowed since 1993, but replacing the pipes involves a lot of work. Asbestos fibers from these pipes can enter the tap water through wear or work.
After measurements, the health council came to the conclusion that the concentrations were usually so low that “the presence of asbestos fibers could not be determined.” Even if the concentrations are thousands of times higher, there is still no increased risk of cancer. So we can just drink the water and use it to prepare food.
The research was carried out on behalf of the then State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management after the SP submitted parliamentary questions in 2020.
At that time, the Netherlands had around 28,000 kilometers of drinking water pipes that contained asbestos cement. That corresponded to almost a quarter of all pipes. According to the ministry, about 200 kilometers of pipes containing asbestos cement are replaced every year.
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