Defra publishes report on background levels of dispersed asbestos fibres in soil

Article summary

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the SP 1014 Report on the establishment of typical background levels of dispersed asbestos fibres in urban and rural soils in England and Wales. The research targeted surface soils which were representative in land use both spatially and geographically. The researchers specifically avoided areas which have been exposed to asbestos containing materials in the past to achieve a comprehensive data set on typical background concentrations. Only 2 out of 172 soil samples taken from the field gave positive results for containing asbestos fibres and asbestos-containing materials.