RESUMO
Asbestos filters have been widely used to clear beverages in many countries including Japan, and despite warnings from the authorities, some Japanese sake companies have continued using such filters until recently. Forty-seven Japanese sake samples were analyzed using a transmission electron microscope to detect contamination with asbestos fibers. The concentrations of fibers found in sake samples ranged from <7.8 × 103 fibers/L (the detection limit) to 1.96 × 108 fibers/L. Ten sake manufacturers provided information as to whether they had used asbestos in the filtration process and the remaining 37 did not (unknown group). Five out of the 10 manufacturers from which information was available had used asbestos (with asbestos group), and the other 5 had not (without asbestos group). The concentrations of fibers in the samples of the "with asbestos" group were more than 7.7 × 106 fibers/L while those in the "without asbestos" group did not exceed 2.8 × 105 fibers/L. The concentrations of fibers in the samples of the "unknown group" ranged from below the detection limits to 1.46 × 108 fibers/L. Some brands of sake showed extremely high concentrations of asbestos fibers, and therefore it may be necessary to investigate the fate of ingested asbestos in the body and its possible carcinogenicity.
