Stiftung Warentest detected asbestos in ten of the 22 samples of decorative, play, and craft sand it tested. Ordinary quartz sand for sandboxes is not affected.
A recent study from New Zealand, cited by Stiftung Warentest, shows that contaminated dry sand can release carcinogenic asbestos fibers into the air while children are playing. Parents should therefore check whether their products are affected by tests or recalls and, if so, stop using them. Recalls have occurred in various countries in recent months, including Germany. Sand supplied from abroad—for example, through large mail-order companies—was also affected. A list of recalls can be found on the Stiftung Warentest website.
Spilled sand should not be stirred up, swept up, or removed with a standard vacuum cleaner; instead, it should be cleaned up with a damp cloth. According to Stiftung Warentest, it is not yet possible to reliably determine how high the health risk actually is after a single exposure.
Further information:
Stiftung Warentest—https://www.test.de/Asbest-in-Spielsand-Studie-Asbestfasern-gelangen-beim-Spielen-in-die-Atemluft-6328390-0/
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