5 days Ago By Thomas Brown
SCOTS are facing a growing risk from asbestos in water pipes with more than a quarter of pipes in some areas containing the cancer-causing fibres. There are fears that the more than half of the asbestos-laden pipes which make up over 11% of the country’s supply are now old meaning there is a chance of fibres making their way into the drinking water supply. 1 More than a quarter of pipes in some areas contain cancer-causing fibres Credit: Getty Scottish water estimates it may take until 2072 for all of the pipes to be replaced if the current rate of refitting is maintained.
Asbestos is a known carcinogen to humans , meaning it is capable of causing cancer . There is typically considered to be no safe level of exposure to asbestos – although health officials disagree on the dangers associated with fibres in drinking water. The World Health Organisation does not consider ingestion of asbestos in drinking water to be a serious risk.
More in health INK AGONY Botched tattoo removal left me unable to wear SHOES for months NO SLOWING DOWN I have terminal cancer but I'm running the marathon - it hasn't beaten me However, experts fear we could be on the cusp of a new wave of asbestos cases in the UK but will not know the full extent of the harm for decades. Adrian Budgen is national head of asbestos and occupational disease at law firm Irwin Mitchell: “I think 50 years to replace these pipes is absurdly long. That’s several generations.
“The latency period for most asbestos-related illnesses is upwards of 20 years so it can often be 30, 40 or 50 years after you have exposure that you find out, and it just strikes like a lightning bolt. “It’s now over 25 years since asbestos was banned in the UK and we are only just seeing a third wave of asbestos cases, this time from background exposure in schools or offices where it was present and then disturbed. Most read in Health DEMON DEALERS The sick black market abortion trade where deadly pills are flogged to Brits UNDER PRESSURE The five signs of ‘secret stress’ that could shorten your lifespan LIFE STORY Dementia sufferers hail game-changing new tool as experts call for Scots rollout NO SLOWING DOWN I have terminal cancer but I'm running the marathon - it hasn't beaten me “I would say this could be in that category but we just won’t know the full extent until many years from now.
” Scottish Water said it invests around £35-40 million a year to renew water mains and is “proposing” to significantly increase the replacement rate for asbestos cement pipes. Homeowner pulls up 70s carpets hoping to find ‘gorgeous parquet or tiles’ underneath & instead discovers the ‘stuff of nightmares’ A spokesman added: “There are strict standards in place for any materials we use on our water network to ensure public health is the primary concern and these standards are guided by the World Health Organisation, which has concluded there is no evidence to suggest that drinking water from AC pipes is a health risk.”.
