Mesothelioma is a disease associated with occupational exposure to asbestos, but that is not the only way that people can be exposed to the toxic mineral. Last week, British retailer Hobbycraft pulled children’s play sand from its shelves after testing revealed that it was contaminated with asbestos. This episode follows the discovery of asbestos in similar products in Australia, and raises urgent health concerns about childhood exposure to the cancer-causing mineral.
Mesothelioma Risk Prompts Parent to Test Children’s Product
A parent concerned about the risk of mesothelioma was responsible for the asbestos discovery in the sand sold in the United Kingdom. Recognizing similarities between Hobbycraft’s colored sand and products recently recalled in Australia, the parent sent samples from a purchased set to an accredited laboratory for asbestos testing. The results were alarming: three of five colors tested positive for fibrous tremolite asbestos, a form of the mineral known to cause mesothelioma.
“I am getting increasingly upset thinking that kids are being exposed unnecessarily,” the parent explained, highlighting the serious mesothelioma risks posed by contaminated children’s products. Hobbycraft, which operates stores across the UK, including locations in London’s Wimbledon, Greenwich, Chingford, Croydon, and Greenford, responded by voluntarily removing the product from sale pending independent testing.
Mesothelioma Concerns Mirror Australian Asbestos Sand Crisis
The Hobbycraft discovery follows recent high-profile instances of contaminated play sands in Australia and New Zealand, and is a particularly troubling development given that childhood asbestos exposure can lead to mesothelioma decades later. The Faculty of Asbestos Assessment and Management (FAAM), the UK’s professional organization for asbestos analysts and surveyors, had previously flagged UK play products containing asbestos after the Australian mesothelioma crisis emerged.
Children exposed to asbestos are vulnerable to mesothelioma, though the disease’s long latency period of 20 to 50 years means that a diagnosis caused by today’s contaminated play sand could not come until these children reach middle age. Recent legal action over asbestos in talcum powder has heightened awareness of mesothelioma risks from consumer products, with thousands of lawsuits alleging that asbestos-contaminated talc in baby powder caused mesothelioma and other cancers.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you need help, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net, at 1-800-692-8608.
