The country that is closing almost 70 of its schools over fears of asbestos in playground sand
Illustrative photo. Photo source: Dreamstime.com
A total of 69 schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) will be closed on Monday after traces of asbestos, a mineral with an extremely high cancer risk, were found in some sand samples from educational products, according to the BBC.
Several chain stores, including Kmart and Target, announced on Saturday that the colored sand had been withdrawn from the market due to the risk of asbestos. The material becomes dangerous when its particles are inhaled. They can damage the lungs and cause serious illness.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said there was a “low” risk of asbestos becoming airborne or fine enough to be inhaled. However, the government said it was “obliged to eliminate the risk as far as possible”.
School inspections are ongoing and could “take several days”, ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry said in a Facebook post. She added that tests to date have returned “negative for airborne asbestos” in all schools.
Several schools and kindergartens in the region were closed in whole or in part on Friday following a warning about the risks associated with asbestos in sand for children.
The ACT Government said people who came into contact with the product did not require a clinical assessment.
Which products are targeted?
Sand products, imported from China and sold in Australia between 2020 and 2025, are available in several retail chains, including the stores of one of the country's most popular retailers, Officeworks.
The products mentioned in the recall notice are labeled as Kadink Sand (1.3 kg), Educational Colors – Rainbow Sand (1.3 kg) and Creatistics – Colored Sand (1 kg).
Officeworks said it had stopped selling Educational Colors products after tests detected asbestos, according to Australian broadcaster ABC.
Photo source: Dreamstime.com
