"The parent, who did not wish to be named, raised the alarm after her children played with the sand at a party. She sent samples off to a testing lab, which found traces of asbestos fibres in the bottles of yellow, green and pink sand sold in Hobbycraft's Giant Box of Craft arts kit. Asbestos can cause cancer in later life if inhaled, although the risk to children who played with the sand is thought to be low."
"The discovery came two months after asbestos traces found in similar play sand products in Australia prompted a government recall and the closure of schools and nurseries across the country and in New Zealand. All the affected products are manufactured in China, where items containing less than 5% of asbestos can be labelled asbestos-free. UK law says that there is no safe limit for exposure to the mineral."
A parent sent coloured play sand bottles purchased from Hobbycraft for laboratory testing after children had played with them; the lab found traces of asbestos fibres in yellow, green and pink bottles from the Giant Box of Craft arts kit. Asbestos inhalation can cause cancer later in life, though immediate risk to the children is considered low. Similar findings in Australia led to recalls and school closures months earlier. The products are manufactured in China, where items with under 5% asbestos can be labelled asbestos-free, while UK law states there is no safe exposure limit. Hobbycraft has voluntarily removed the product pending independent testing but declined to issue a recall, and officials criticised the retailer's response as investigations continue.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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