Asbestos in play sand: Further data required for risk assessment

Asbestos is the collective name for various naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals with fibre diameters of up to 2 micrometres. The substance was used in very large amounts in the construction industry for decades. Its manufacture and use have been strictly regulated throughout the EU since 2005, as the substance can cause various types of cancer. The use of asbestos in toys and consumer goods is prohibited. 

In November 2025, reports emerged in Australia and New Zealand of play and craft sand contaminated with asbestos. In February 2026, play and craft sand products containing traces of asbestos were found in the Netherlands and Belgium, and the products were withdrawn from the market and recalled from retailers as a precautionary measure. All of the products affected had small amounts of play and craft sand (coloured, "magic", malleable/kinetic), which were often purchased online. The recalls also affect sand-filled stretchy toy figures/stretch figures. Play and craft sand is different from sand for sandboxes. The latter is not affected.

There are currently no confirmed reports with reliable data on asbestos-containing play and craft sand products that were regularly sold in Germany (as of 25 February 2026). However, various retailers have recalled products as a precautionary measure.

The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment therefore currently has no findings relevant to risk assessment concerning asbestos in play sand. There are also currently no measurements that could be used for a risk assessment with regard to children's exposureClose dialogexposureExposureTo glossary to airborne asbestos from play sand products. As soon as reliable information on the possible presence of asbestos-related impurities in play and craft sand becomes available from the regional authorities of the German federal states ("Laender”), the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment will assess the health risks. However, the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment's legal mandate does not include the assessment of individual products or brands.

The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment is responsible for conducting risk assessment of toys in Germany. The Federal Environment Agency (UBAshort forGerman Environment Agency) deals with indoor air quality. This is relevant to asbestos because the fibres are taken up from the air through respiration. 

External Link:Detailed information on asbestos is available on the website of the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the construction industry (BG Bau).

Preliminary health risk assessment from Belgium

The Belgian government has carried out a External Link:risk assessment. This assessment by the federal scientific institution Sciensano concludes that the concentrations detected in official Belgian samples of children's play sand are "negligible from a healthperspective" ("gezondheidskundig verwaarloosbaar"). However, the authority points out that this statement is very uncertain, partly due to the limited data available, and may change if better data becomes available. The risk assessment is based on the asbestos levels in three products. A total of 15 samples were tested in Belgium, of which asbestos was not detectable in twelve products. It is emphasised that the samples taken are not representative. In general, inhaling asbestos fibres is considered harmful to health. 

According to Sciensano's investigation the detection of asbestos in play and craft sand is not surprising, as it has been found in other consumer products containing mineral raw materials in the past. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that can be found in a wide variety of mineral deposits, such as rock and sand quarries Mining of these mineral deposits can lead to asbestos contamination of the mined sand.

International hazard classification of asbestos

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified inhaled asbestos fibres as a Group 1 carcinogen (sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans). Asbestos causes various types of cancer and, in cases of chronic exposure, the occupational disease asbestosis, in which inflammation causes scarring of the lung tissue.

There are essentially two groups of asbestos, serpentine (chrysotile) and amphibole (crocidolite, amosite, tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite), with amphibole types of asbestos considered particularly problematic. All of the above types of asbestos are classified as Category 1A carcinogens (substances known to be carcinogenic to humans) in accordance with European Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008. 

Asbestos has long been strictly regulated and banned in the EU. Consumer goods must comply with the requirements of the EU REACH Regulation and the EU Product Safety Regulation. Play sand products in particular are subject to the European Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC, which is still applicable, and, in the future, to the new European Toy Safety Regulation (EU) 2025/2509. According to legal requirements, consumer products, including toys, must be safe.