§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the health impact of asbestos in drinking water. [155787]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality published in 1993 by the World Health Organization (the WHO Guidelines) concluded that
There is … no consistent evidence that ingested asbestos is hazardous to health and thus it was concluded that there was no need to establish a health-based guideline value for asbestos in drinking-water.Asbestos released from drinking-water to air does not appear to contribute significantly to exposure to inhaled asbestos, and the WHO Guidelines noted that the fibres which are released are of a form which is considered to pose little health risk.