The Danger Is Real: 3 Childhood Favorites That Could Contain Asbestos
If you have children, you do everything you can to keep them safe. That includes taking precautions to keep them from being exposed to hazardous materials. Unfortunately, you might not even realize that some of your kid's favorite playthings have tested positive for asbestos. Research has shown that there are no safe exposure levels for asbestos. However, the product continues to be used in many household products, including children's toys. Here are three products that your child may have in their room right now.
Crayons
Take a look in your child's room, you'll probably find at least one box of crayons. If those crayons were manufactured in China, they probably contain asbestos. Studies conducted on crayons found that 4 of the 28 boxes tested contained asbestos. Unfortunately, when children use crayons, they often touch their faces, place the crayons in their mouths, or breathe in the crayon dust that comes loose during coloring. If your children have crayons, you should make sure that they weren't manufactured in China.
Children's Detective Kits
If your kids like pretending that they're detectives, and they're hot on the trail of a bad guy, they may be playing with toys that contain asbestos. Studies recently found that a popular junior detective fingerprinting kit contained detectable levels of asbestos. This is dangerous because part of the kit requires kids to cover flat surfaces with a fingerprinting dust. Unfortunately, once the surface has been dusted by your child, asbestos fibers could be released into the air you and your kids are breathing.
Play Sand
When the weather is nice, children love to go outside and play in the sand. However, depending on the type of wood and sand being used, your kids could be playing with pressure-treated wood and sand that contains asbestos. According to research, even trace amounts of asbestos can increase your child's chances of developing malignant mesothelioma. If you're going to build playground equipment for your kids, make sure that the wood is safe for your kids to test, and that the sand is kid-safe.
If you have kids, you take extra effort to keep them safe and healthy. Unfortunately, you might not realize the hidden hazards that are all around them. The information provided here will help you identify childhood playthings that could increase your child's risk of being exposed to asbestos. For other tips on how to identify asbestos hazards in your home, be sure to speak to an asbestos abatement contractor, like Mac-Bestos Inc.
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