Asbestos ocurrs naturally in some areas.
The majority of the exposure to asbestos is thought to be from the corrosion of asbestos-concrete pipes. The majority of the concern is therefore in public water systems with asbestos-concrete pipes. This type of piping is not expected to be found inside homes or in private well systems. From 1987 to 1993, according to the Toxics Release Inventory, asbestos releases to water and land totaled nearly 9 million lbs. These releases were primarily from asbestos products industries which use asbestos in roofing materials, friction materials, and cement.