Hello and thanks for posting

Many people worry when they think they or their children may have been exposed to asbestos.

The amount of asbestos that was found in the play sand is tiny (0.001%) and is thought to be too low to cause harm. Even though your son played with the sand a lot, this is still short‑term, low‑level exposure, which is highly unlikely to cause asbestos‑related diseases.

Asbestos is still a very common substance and most people are exposed to a very small amount of asbestos fibres in their lives and yet asbestos related diseases are rare. So if you can, try not to be overly worried. It is regular occupational exposure to asbestos over many years that is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer, often two or three decades later.

It's worth bearing in mind that practically everyone is exposed to asbestos and that low levels are present in our environment as it can be found in air and soil and yet very few people become ill. 

You can read more about asbestos exposure on the British Lung Cancer Foundation website.

It's a personal choice whether you tell your cleaner but her risk is minimal.

From what I’ve read Australian schools were closed by the authorities because some children’s play sand was found to contain tiny traces of asbestos. Even though early tests showed the risk of fibres becoming airborne was extremely low, schools shut so specialists could safely remove the sand, clean affected areas, and test the air before anyone returned. This was done purely as a precaution only.

I hope this helps and remember you can always ring your GP if you still feel concerned. I wonder if you have any support with managing your OCD. If you haven't or if you feel it's getting worse then do speak to your GP when you get the chance.

Best wishes,

Celene