Mommy Goes Green

One man’s definition of “safe” is another man’s definition of “toxic”. 

I recently saw an ad for ‘Safe Play Sand’ and decided to check into what makes sand ’safe’.   I wouldn’t have considered that sand could be unsafe ( unless our neighborhood dog was playing litter box in our sandbox ). 

I checked out what kind of sandbox sand the local home improvement store was selling and found “Play Sand” – “a specially graded washed sand that has been dried and screened, for children’s sand boxes”.  Unfortunately, with a little research I found that this so called ‘play sand’ has a substance called crystalline silica that is classified as a substance known to the State of California to be a carcinogen.  The MSDS sheet for the sand also listed the following potential side effects due to inhalation:

a. Silicosis – Respirable crystalline silica (quartz) can cause silicosis, a fibrosis (scarring) of the lungs. Silicosis may be progressive; it may lead to disability and death.
b. Lung Cancer- Crystalline silica (quartz) inhaled from occupational sources is classified as carcinogenic to humans.
c. Tuberculosis – Silicosis increases the risk of tuberculosis.
d. Autoimmune and Chronic Kidney Diseases – Some studies show excess numbers of cases of scleroderma, connective tissue disorders, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic kidney diseases and end-stage kidney disease in workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica.
e. Non-Malignant Respiratory Diseases (other than silicosis) – Some studies show an increased incidence in chronic bronchitis and emphysema in workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica.

I don’t know about you but I don’t consider those kind of side effects conducive to sand that is safe to play in!  I understand that these types of effects are due to chronic exposure but at what level is that measured?  Is chronic exposure for an adult the same as daily exposure to a child playing with their dump trucks in their sand box?

The Safe Sand Company was founded to provide an alternative to unsafe children’s playsand.  Safe Sand is a fine white playsand, but unlike crushed quartz, it is a feldspathic sand. The finely gradated and clean play sand is ideal for use in children’s sand boxes. The beautiful white sand is the perfect texture for creating sand castles and sand sculptures. At $60 per bag ( 50 lbs, includes shipping costs ), it’s more expensive than the cheap toxic sand you can pick up locally but if you are only replacing your sand every 2 years ( as recommended ), I think it’s a wise investment in the lungs of your family   You might also consider asking your child’s school to look into Safe Sand.