Short answer: It is best to install a Reverse Osmosis drinking water filtration system in your home to prevent diseases caused by asbestos from water you drink regularly.

Why You Might Need an Asbestos Water Filter

How Can Asbestos In Drinking Water Affect You?

Asbestos is unsafe for your health in multiple ways. When you’re exposed to asbestos, you run the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. These include asbestosis and different cancers. If you inhale asbestos fibers and dust, they can get lodged in your body and lead to illness and disease. Similarly, drinking water that has been contaminated with asbestos is unsafe, according to the latest reports.

Prolonged consumption of water that contains asbestos can lead to disease such as mesothelioma and cancers of the colon and intestines. 

What Are The Sources Of Asbestos In The Water You Drink?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people in the United States drink water that has a very small amount of asbestos. However, the amounts are so small that they generally do not affect your health.


Asbestos gets into drinking water from cement and concrete water pipes that are made or reinforced with asbestos-containing materials. When these types of old pipes are damaged, they can release asbestos fibers and dust that can get into the water you drink.

Asbestos fibers and dust can also get into exposed water at home from the air. Even open tanks, lakes, and rivers can contain asbestos from the air. Any natural disaster can also increase levels of asbestos, both in air and water.

Are There Laws Dealing with Asbestos in the Water You Drink?

There are laws that control the amount of asbestos in the environment, including in your drinking water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) makes the rules. The EPA has labeled asbestos as a chemical impurity.

You can find more details of laws dealing with asbestos in the water here.

Is the Public Water Supply System Safe For You?

The public water supply system is safe for you. The government has laws and rules to ensure you have a supply of clean water.

The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974

The EPA implemented the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, allowing a maximum of 7 million fibers per liter. The law considers this level as safe.

The Act also ensures that the local authorities and other agencies inform you whenever there is a water supply problem that can affect your health. In fact, they have to make periodic checks for water purity.

How Can You Make Water Safe At Home?

You can make water safe by using a filtration system. There are many filtration systems on the market. You can choose the one that fits you.

Reverse Osmosis Filtration Systems for Asbestos-Tainted Water

One of the best systems is the reverse osmosis (RO) system of filtration. This system uses a series of filtration systems in sequence to remove a variety of particles, including asbestos fibers and dust. 

RO systems remove asbestos and other substances, such as arsenic, barium, and cadmium. It also removes total dissolved solids (TDS), which is the term for organic and inorganic materials that are found in water.

What Is The Reverse Osmosis Filtration System?

Reverse osmosis technology pushes water through a semipermeable membrane, like a very fine filter, to block particles larger than water molecules. Thus, the system does not allow impurities to pass through.

RO filters usually follow a multi-stage filtration system. Each stage is capable of preventing certain substances from passing through the membrane; this ensures at the end of the last stage that you get water free of asbestos and other harmful impurities. The filters pump pressurized water through each filter and the RO membrane.

This type of water filtration system is available for homes and workplaces. They are portable and can be moved to a new home or office if necessary. Newer systems have various features to keep up with new technologies.

“The overall evidence suggests there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.”

Source: National Cancer Institute (NIH) 1


Do You Need An Asbestos Water Filter?

The answer to whether you require an asbestos water filter may depend on the specifics of your situation. If you trust the local water supply, then there is no need to invest in a RO system. However, if you have growing children at home and you have reason to suspect improper water supply, it may be a sound investment to make. 

A RO system is capable of removing most impurities, including asbestos. These systems have become better with the latest technologies. You also have regular AMCs available that can provide you with excellent quality water free of asbestos.

RO filtration systems will greatly reduce the risk of exposure to asbestos, and the development of asbestos-related disease, from your drinking water. Remember, the symptoms of diseases caused by asbestos take a long time to appear. In some cases, they can appear after 20 years, and in other cases, they appear after 40 or more years.

In the interest of safety for you and your family, a RO system is very useful.

AsbestosClaims.Law

AsbestosClaims.law is your comprehensive resource for all things asbestos. We hope this information helps you.

If you believe that your home was contaminated with asbestos, you could be entitled to significant compensation—money you could use to cover the costs of asbestos removal services, pay for medical treatment, and preemptively protect your physical well-being. 

In addition to legal claims, veterans disability, social security and employment protection like workers compensation, FELA and The Jones Act for maritime workers, there are asbestos trusts that have been set up to compensate those harmed by asbestos without having to file a lawsuit.

If you have any additional questions or concerns related to asbestos, including testing for exposure or how to file a claim, please get in touch by email at [email protected], or call or text us at (833) 4-ASBESTOS (427-2378) or (206) 455-9190.

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Sources:

https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/chemical-contaminant-rules
https://www.asbestos.com/blog/2014/12/31/asbestos-in-drinking-water/
https://www.h2odistributors.com/pages/contaminants/contaminant-asbestos.asp
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=9100STO6.TXT
https://www.epicwaterfilters.com/pages/asbestos-drinking-water-filter
https://www.spycor.com/Water-Filtration-Systems-for-Asbestos-s/3978.htm
https://learn.eartheasy.com/articles/are-the-dangers-of-asbestos-still-real/
https://www.home-water-purifiers-and-filters.com/asbestos.php
https://www.purewaterproducts.com/water-problems/asbestos
https://www.waterfilters.net/asbestos-water-treatment.html
https://zerowater.co.uk/pages/contaminants-asbestos
http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.com/asbestos-water-contaminants/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27919155/#:~:text=In%20animal%20models%2C%20asbestos%20fibres,on%20gastric%20and%20colorectal%20cancer
https://www.waterfiltershop.co.uk/blog/what-do-reverse-osmosis-water-filters-remove-from-water/

1 National Cancer Institute (NIH), Asbestos Fact Sheet.