Australia Recalls Play Sand Containing Asbestos

Australian authorities have recalled several types of play sand found to contain asbestos.

At the end of 2025, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) investigated several types of decorative and play sand.

According to the ACCC:

“The products may cause a risk to health as tremolite and chrysotile asbestos have been detected in some samples after laboratory testing.

Importantly, respirable asbestos has not been detected in any air samples tested. The release of respirable asbestos fibres from the sand is unlikely to occur in its current state, unless the sand is processed by mechanical means such as crushing or pulverising.

While the risk that any asbestos found in the sand may be released into the air and that it is fine enough for inhalation is low, this may still pose a risk.”

Following this investigation, several types of play sand were recalled in Australia.

Asbestos is a natural mineral that can be found in rocks. Before its health risks were known, it was widely extracted and added to manufactured products for its fire-resistant properties. Asbestos can also occur as a natural contaminant in commercialized sand, talc or talc-based products, as well as in other minerals such as wollastonite, vermiculite and various clays.

Asbestos may be released when rock or sand-containing materials are broken, crushed, weathered or eroded. Once released, fibers can become airborne and inhaled, posing a serious health risk, including an increased likelihood of lung cancer.

Many territories, including Australia, Europe and the US, have banned asbestos. In the European Union, asbestos is restricted under REACH Annex XVII, entry 6, which prohibits fibers such as tremolite and chrysotile.

A separate investigation by Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad reported that some play sand sold in the EU may also contain asbestos. European authorities are now investigating the presence of asbestos in play sand sold within the EU.

We offer a fully accredited quantitative asbestos analysis for consumer minerals and raw materials. The SEM/EDX methodology allow us to have a low detection limit on conventional and non-conventional asbestos, providing the client with a reliable asbestos mass concentration calculation.