Help Fund Research into Asbestos Exposure from Children’s Playsand

Certain coloured playsand products (craft and mouldable sands) have been found to contain asbestos and were recalled due to health and safety risks. Although tremolite asbestos has been detected in playsands sold in New Zealand, Australia and the UK, the actual risk to children or adults who have played with/cleaned up the sand is unknown.

We are a group of concerned asbestos researchers, industry specialists and parents who want to provide clear, evidence-based information for families and schools exposed to these contaminated products. Our aim is to investigate potential asbestos exposure to children and adults during sand play involving known contaminated products, with support from Auckland University of Technology.

For this investigation, we will recreate children’s sand play using asbestos-contaminated samples and measure airborne asbestos within a controlled enclosure. The aim is to determine whether asbestos fibres can become airborne during play, and potentially inhaled. This research aims to improve future asbestos risk assessment and management.

We have received partial funding from the NZ government and industry partners, but are still struggling to raise enough funding to pay for testing and equipment. We believe NZ children, parents and educators deserve to know more about the risks, and most of our team is working at reduced rates or as volunteers.

If you can, please support this research with any amount you can!