We drink water because we see it as a pure substance, which our bodies need to flush out toxins and keep our bodies running strong. However, many people do not realize that drinking water can be contaminated with asbestos from faulty plumbing. Instead of helping your body, drinking asbestos-contaminated water can actually cause serious health problems, including cancer.
Perhaps you have heard of the dangers of asbestos in construction. Asbestos was used throughout the buildings for everything from vinyl flooring to insulation to roof shingles. In truth, asbestos had the potential to completely surround him. However, beginning in the 1970s, people began calling for a ban on asbestos due to the number of health problems it caused.
Asbestos has been linked to a multitude of disorders, including various cancers such as lung, throat, esophageal, colorectal, gastrointestinal, kidney, gallbladder, and mesothelioma. In addition, it can cause diseases such as asbestosis, pleural plaques, and pleural effusions. These illnesses can result from inhaling or ingesting asbestos.
The reason asbestos is so harmful is because it is a carcinogen that mutates our DNA. Also, instead of being broken down by our bodies and expelled, asbestos fibers lodge in our tissues, where they can remain forever. Our body must form protective nodules around the fiber strips, but sometimes this is not enough.
Drinking asbestos water makes you especially susceptible to cancers related to the mouth, throat, and digestive system. This material can find its way into drinking water when asbestos-containing water-carrying items break down over time. Specifically, old water mains were often made of asbestos and cement. Over time, the cement begins to break down and release asbestos into the water supply.
To protect people from asbestos in drinking water, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974. This allowed the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, to set standards for the amount of asbestos allowed in the water supply. . The EPA has set goals to reduce the spread of this carcinogen in water, called maximum contaminant level goals, or MCLGs.
However, the EPA could not directly enforce the MCLGs, as they were only targets. Therefore, the EPA also set standards called maximum contaminant levels, called MCLs. Now, the MCL and the MCLG are at the same level-7 MFL. This allows the EPA to periodically review the asbestos content in drinking water.
Although the EPA now has the ability to regulate asbestos in the drinking water supply, many pipes can still leach asbestos into drinking water. This can cause you to develop cancer. If you or someone you know has contracted asbestos-related cancer due to illegal asbestos exposure, you should speak to an attorney about your rights.
