Testing by Which? shows tremolite asbestos, a carcinogen, and notes that asbestos in consumer products is illegal in the UK even in trace amounts.

Which? has identified multiple children's sand kits sold in the UK that contain tremolite asbestos, prompting fresh recalls by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). The recalled items include a Montessori-style sand art tray sold via Amazon Marketplace and TikTok Shop, plus another kit sold through TikTok Shop and listed by three Amazon Marketplace sellers.

Which? also found tremolite asbestos in the GL Style Sand Bottle Art Heart or Stars set sold at Asda under RMS International Limited, with similar listings found on eBay from private sellers.

Experts warn that asbestos in sand can become airborne and cause serious lung diseases, as all forms of asbestos are classified as carcinogenic to humans by major health authorities.

The suspected source of the contaminated sand is certain Chinese quarry sites where asbestos occurs naturally, raising ongoing safety concerns across retailers and platforms.

The market-wide concern centers on sand sourced from Chinese quarries with naturally occurring asbestos, prompting calls for stricter controls and enforcement to prevent hazardous items from reaching children.

Consumer rights advocates, including Which?’s Sue Davies, condemn ongoing sales on online marketplaces and are calling for stronger government regulation to require platforms to exercise due care in removing dangerous products.

More than 39 OPSS recall notices have been issued since November for asbestos-contaminated sand products, with closures of schools and parks in North East England linked to the issue.

Marketplace responses show action: Amazon is removing all products in this category and investigating; Asda has issued a full recall and is offering refunds; eBay and TikTok Shop have begun sweeps or removed identified listings.