The level of asbestos exposure gymnasts suffered at Dunedin Gymnastics Academy is highly unlikely to present a health risk, Public Health South medical officer of health Dr Keith Reid says.
Asbestos was discovered on the rafters and windowsills of the academy's Willis St gym, causing it to be closed last week.
Air tests were negative for the fibres, but some matting returned a positive result.
Despite the discovery it was unlikely to cause long-term health effects, Dr Reid said.
One of the biggest risk factors to those exposed to asbestos was smoking and it seemed unlikely that would be an issue for the athletes, he said.
"Young gymnasts have much less likelihood than the general population of smoking.''
While no safe level of asbestos exposure had ever been established medically, it seemed unlikely the exposure would result in elevated risks of long-term health effects.
"In terms of the likely levels of exposure, there's not any particular health effects that I could point to and say 'this is going to happen','' Dr Reid said.
There was a "very, very small increased risk'' of cancer.
"One in a million,'' he said of the elevated chances of contracting the disease.
"If people were exposed to asbestos all day every day.
"It's extremely unlikely you will have any long-term health effects from training or competing in the DGA gym.
"There's no real risk of short-term effects at the levels they had likely been exposed to in this building.''
Despite the minimal risk, the academy had made the right choice by abandoning the gym and discarding any potentially contaminated equipment.
"It's been a huge disruption, but the thought is that's the only way you can protect the gymnasts,'' he said.
He praised the response from the academy.
Dunedin Gymnastics Academy president Louise Taylor said parents were taking news of the contamination in their stride.
"People have been really supportive and positive and appreciate the fast response,'' she said.
"The advice is that the health risk is very low. The air tests, which took place over a four-hour period, came back negative so it is not something in the air normally.''
Hard-surfaced equipment at the facility had been cleaned and equipment with permeable surfaces had been scrapped at a cost of about $120,000.
WorkSafe was advised and was "very happy with the steps we have taken'', she said.
"All cleaning and removal of equipment has been carried out on the advice and supervision of Southern Insulation.''
