Risk to children low amid asbestos scare, expert says
Children exposed to toxic, colored sand that has forced the closure of dozens of schools face an extremely low risk of asbestos contamination, an expert says.
Families have been told not to panic over asbestos fears after rainbow-colored dirty sand sold in stores across Australia was removed from shelves and placed in schools.
Nearly 70 schools in the ACT have also been closed for decontamination operations after toxic substances were reported in various brands of children’s litter products.
Anthony Linton, of the Asbestos and Dust Disease Research Institute, said asbestos was a “deadly dust” and exposure to even a small amount could have dire consequences.
But he said in the latest scare, asbestos did not spread through the air, which helped minimize the risk.
Dr Linton told AAP: “They (people) are absolutely right to be nervous, but… it feels like there’s asbestos in this sand.”
“So it’s not particles floating in the air that will be inhaled into the lungs.”
Dr Linton said it was too early for parents to look for symptoms of asbestos exposure in their children and there was no simple test for it.
The risk of contamination for children and adult teachers exposed to sand in dozens of schools was assessed as “very low”.
“But you can never tell 100 percent, and so it’s important to exercise an appropriate amount of caution,” he said.
In the ACT, 69 schools were closed on Monday after more colored sand products were recalled over concerns about asbestos contamination.
The Queensland government said a school in Brisbane was closed on Friday, while another school was identified with the affected product.
Some schools may close for days.
People who find sand product in their homes need to dispose of it properly to avoid a repeat of the Sydney asbestos crisis, which found asbestos-contaminated mulch in dozens of parks, schools and other public NSW sites in 2024.
“There have been cases where people have dumped asbestos in green bins and it has then been processed into mulch,” John Batty, of hazardous materials management company EDP Consultants, told AAP.
“We don’t want these products to go back into the community.”
People should double package the product, seal it with strong tape, and label it “do not open” before visiting the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency website for more information.
Asbestos removal contractors worked over the weekend to remove sand supplied by Officeworks from ACT schools.
It has been announced that mainstream ACT schools will close after Kmart and Target issued a voluntary recall for their colored sand product.
The ACT government said licensed asbestos contractors will retest, remediate and clean the areas.
“All air tests our contractors have performed on public schools so far have come back negative for airborne asbestos.”
Safety alerts have been issued in nearly every state and territory urging schools, consumers and service providers to stop using sand products.
Products linked to asbestos scares have been identified at more than 100 sites in South Australia, danger warnings have been issued but no schools have closed.
Worksafe ACT said that the product in ACT schools was imported from China and sold as Kadink Decorative Sand in 10 gram tubes.
It comes after a while national recall Percentage of toddler litter products sold at retailers such as Officeworks, Educating Kids, Modern Teaching Aids, and Zart Art.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issued a warning after traces of asbestos were detected in laboratory tests.
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