I have been looking into finding safe sands for play and have found that most play sand for the sandbox can certainly come with better quality. Silica is quartz, but the most important concern is free silica dust or crystalline silica and asbestos. Play sand with dust most likely have one or both of these, and they are a hazard to a child's developing lungs. These sharp glass-like particles become trapped in the lung tissue causing scar tissue, slow progressing lung disease and cancer. Now workers who work on a regular basis with these elements are more likely to develop this problem, but that doesn't mean that it is okay for our children to play with such dangerous sand particles. I have found some sands which may be safe including Sandtastik and Safe Sand. These however may have asbestos even though they are silica free, and are expensive. The MSDS for these state that the ingredient for the sand is used to make fiberglass and other such products, and that the main ingredient is feldspharic inorganic minerals. Many white sands contain asbestos and/or crystalline silica dust unless stated otherwise...very rare for them to state free of both dangers.

Well, the best I have found so far is Crayola colored play sand. I called the company n2m group who makes the sand, and have found that the quartz particles are rounded by tumbling for 45 minutes, is 100% asbestos free and free of crystalline silica dust particles, the dye is acrylic based and safe, the product does not stain though it may appear so as the tiny particles wedge into areas, is washed and goes through a dust collecting process, does not require that warning label for lung disease, and is certified with high standards and well tested. Completely non-toxic AND irritant free. There was one case where two children broke out in a rash...they ended up being allergic to sand in general. It had nothing to do with the colors or quality, and was an isolated case. For anyone looking for this good quality sand, it is only currently sold at Wal-mart and soon Toys R Us. So far this is the only sand I will use.

Most other sands I have found are Quikrete, Play Sand from Fairmount Minerals, and Beach Sand brand from Busy Beaver. I have been unsatisfied with their quality. Most are not tumbled to round the edges, or are only tumbled for 12 hrs....not near the 45 minutes used to prepare Crayola sand, which makes Crayola sand much more reassuring.

My question is, does anyone else have knowledge of equal quality sands, and what is your experience with Crayola sand?
My sandbox has a lid and I have not had any problems with cats, etc. Anyway, my question is specific and not about potential pest/sanitary problems. I have done my research. I appreciate answers specific to my question. Thank you
The Toys R Us sand is likely the Play Sand brand from Fairmount minerals. I found that it did contain a hazard based on the msds sheet. Also Crayola is the only sand so far that has significantly rounded edges. A good thing. Some people might not like the colors getting into the yard though...it is more noticeable. I'm more concerned about safety though

Okay, okay. I read in all these female magazine that the bc pills prevents cancer. Then, I found on some website that has a "list" of known carcinogens, (household cleaner chemicals, asbestos, chewing tobacco, food preservatives, etc. etc. )
That all birth control pills are carcinogenic, even the tri-phasic ones!!!
I need a little help here..

For example, this moronic study http://www.aolnews.com/health/article/study-in-singapore-links-sugary-soft-drinks-and-pancreatic-cancer/19348936?icid=main|main|dl1|link1|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fhealth%2Farticle%2Fstudy-in-singapore-links-sugary-soft-drinks-and-pancreatic-cancer%2F19348936

Claims sugar causes cancer - if the sugar is in the form of soda pop. So you find out where the study came from and it's from the government of Singapore - the country that whips you with 7 foot long Ratton canes soaked in water on the bare assss if you spit on the sidewalk.
You obviously can't trust THAT study.

Similarly, the global warming scam - government-sponsored "scientists' using back-filled data and 100 iterations to reach the pre-determined "conclusion".

The cell phone cancer scare, funded by trial lawyers, salivating over the next "asbestos" type lawsuit lottery.

It never stops. Should we conclude that all "scientific" studies that are widely published on lowest common denominator sites like AOL and Yahoo news are fraudulent?

The next time you buy sanitary pads or tampons, check the labels and see
whether you spot any of the familiar signs stated in this email.

No wonder so many women in the world suffer from cervical cancer and womb
tumors. Have you heard that tampon makers include asbestos in tampons? Why
would they do this?

Because asbestos makes you bleed more, if you bleed more, you're going to
need to use more.

Why this isnt against the law since asbestos is so dangerous?

Because the powers that be, in all their wisdom (not), did not consider
tampons as being ingested, and therefore, didn't consider them illegal or
dangerous.

This month's Essence magazine has a small article about this and they
mention two manufacturers of a cotton tampon alternative. The companies are:

Organic Essentials @ 1-800-765-6491 and Terra Femme 1-800-755-0212.

A woman getting her Ph. D at the University of Colorado at Boulder sent the
following:

For example, this moronic study http://www.aolnews.com/health/article/study-in-singapore-links-sugary-soft-drinks-and-pancreatic-cancer/19348936?icid=main|main|dl1|link1|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fhealth%2Farticle%2Fstudy-in-singapore-links-sugary-soft-drinks-and-pancreatic-cancer%2F19348936

Claims sugar causes cancer - if it's in the form of soda pop. So you find out where the study came from and it's from the government of Singapore - the country that whips you with 7 foot long Ratton canes soaked in water on the bare assss if you spit on the sidewalk.
You obviously can't trust THAT study.

Similarly, the global warming scam - government-sponsored "scientists' using back-filled data and 100 iterations to reach the pre-determined "conclusion".

The cell phone cancer scare, funded by trial lawyers, salivating over the next "asbestos" type lawsuit lottery.

It never stops. Should we conclude that all "scientific" studies that are widely published on lowest common denominator sites like AOL and Yahoo news are fraudulent?

Ok well a friend of mine is going through a lawsuit about some asbestos where he formerly worked. It was a paper mill that was around his family and most of his family and friends worked there(The mill closed down like in the early 90s). A lawyer approached him and his family/friends telling them that they had a case. So they went ahead and sued and for over 10 years the case has been in the process. Now the case is supposedly settled. He called the lawyer and the lawyer says its supposed to be millions but he doesn't know the exact amount. Some people in his family have died from brain damage, cancer, etc. which we don't know if its asbestos related it could have been. The lawyer says you only get money if you have some kind of birth defect but you don't get money for the brother/sister, mother/father that you lost that was possibly from the asbestos in the mill. Do you think this case is fishy? I think its strange that they don't know how much money him and his family are getting....
I KNOW THIS IS P &S ALL THE OTHER SECTIONS ARE EMPTY!...Also the case was held in Texas and we're in Louisiana so all the court dates or whatever were never attended by him or his family/friends only by the lawyer. So no one knows what went on in the court room. His family trusts the lawyer with everything! They think that he's going to do everything honestly but I was trying to tell them that lawyers are crooks and you can't trust them to handle everything for you. Next week the family is supposed to sign to close the case and he still doesn't know how much each family will receive. He says after they sign next week the checks will be sent out in the upcoming weeks. Plus there are some people in my friends family that weren't on the list anymore because they didn't have a birth defect...I think this is very fishy. Please tell me what do you think I should tell him to do because he feels that its stranger too. Thanks a million! ANYTHING would help me...I know this is long! =] x

Ok well a friend of mine is gong through a lawsuit about some asbestos where he formerly worked. It was a paper mill that was around his family and most of his family and friends worked there(The mill closed down like in the early 90s). A lawyer approached him and his family/friends telling them that they had a case. So they went ahead and sued and for over 10 years the case has been in the process. Now the case is supposedly settled. He called the lawyer and the lawyer says its supposed to be millions but he doesn't know the exact amount. Some people in his family have died from brain damage, cancer, etc. which we don't know if its asbestos related it could have been. The lawyer says you only get money if you have some kind of birth defect but you don't get money for the brother/sister, mother/father that you lost that was possibly from the asbestos in the mill. Do you think this case is fishy? I think its strange that they don't know how much money him and his family are getting....
Also the case was held in Texas and we're in Louisiana so all the court dates or whatever were never attended by him or his family/friends only by the lawyer. So no one knows what went on in the court room. His family trusts the lawyer with everything! They think that he's going to do everything honestly but I was trying to tell them that lawyers are crooks and you can't trust them to handle everything for you. Next week the family is supposed to sign to close the case and he still doesn't know how much each family will receive. He says after they sign next week the checks will be sent out in the upcoming weeks. Plus there are some people in my friends family that weren't on the list anymore because they didn't have a birth defect...I think this is very fishy. Please tell me what do you think I should tell him to do because he feels that its stranger too. Thanks a million!

Do people think that hazardous chemicals simply go away? Are that not aware that some toxic chemicals can have a shelf life that can last hundreds, or even thousands of years?

I'm no tree hugger, but I do not believe you can keep polluting our rivers, lakes, and streams without some type of catastrophic event happening in the future. What if one day we must live off the land like they did in the 1800's?

Why do you suppose cancer and heart disease is more common now than it was in the beginning of the 20th century? More people? NO! The percentage is still higher. More smokers? NO! People actually smoke less today. Cancer is not caused by simply smoking alone. There is a wide range of causes.

Why is it that a perfectly healthy person can get lung cancer even though they never have been exposed to asbestos, and most importantly, THEY NEVER SMOKED!

Does the food I eat have the same amount of nutrients and pollutants that it had 50 years ago? Something tells me probably not!
Somehow our government needs to find a way to protect the environment without harming prosperity. Hydrogen powered cars are a start, but thats only a small fraction of the problem.
volcanos are out of our control. And why compound the problem? Should we simply give up because a volcano erupts? That would only make it worse.
Seeing is believing. I have seen it with my own eyes. I live in a state in which every stream and lake is polluted. There was a time when people were not afraid to eat the fish. NOT ANYMORE!

I have also seen a company get fined for dumping toxic wastes into a nearby river. luckily, they got caught! I wonder how many don't.
Great point Jeff, but wouldn't more pollution mean less oxygen? It doesn't have to be cigarette smoke!
It is literally impossible for the environment to be cleaner now than it was 40 or 50 years ago.

What happens if you don't clean your room? Stuff piles up and it looks worse and worse everyday right? These chemicals don't simply rot. They stick around for a very long time!

MY DAD DIED 4 WEEKS AGO FROM ASBESTOS POISONING, MY SIBLINGS AND STEP MOM HAVE A WRONGFUL DEATH SUITE HAPPENING,.WHAT OR HOW IS IT DETERMINED WHAT THE VALUE OF MY FATHERS LIFE WAS. ITS A HORRIABLE HORRIABLE CANCER ANND HE WAS JUST 65.

My dad had 4 spots on his lung and he was worried it was lung cancer because when he was younger he worked around asbestos. After the chest x-ray he had a CT scan. The results came back today that they are (from what my dad has told me) are calcium build up spots and could or couldn't be cancer cell. They could be scars but no one would know until a biopsy. My dad opted against it because he had one along time ago I believe and he said it was VERY painful and he has a huge phobia of doctors and hates it.

The doctors got together and told him since they were so small, he could come back in a year and have another chest x-ray and they could compare to see if they got bigger. Now to me that's just plain stupid and horrible advice from a doctor. Why risk it? Why not just get the biopsy and rule out if it is cancer. Or if it is, catch it early before he goes back in a year and it be 4 times in size and be told "if only you did the biopsy could we have saved your life"

My dad does a lot for me, and usually puts me before himself. I'm going to business school and something like this would haunt me everyday unless he does it. My dad believes there is no cure for lung cancer, however I read that if you catch it early your chances are way higher.

Where can I find proof that catching any kind of lung cancer is better then waiting? Proof that a biopsy is a good idea. Please help me.
I think the main factor for not doing it is because the doctors said they were small and "nothing yet" however that is horrible information because if it is cancer it could become very bad within a year.

Also, i'm not looking for "he should suck it up" or do it, I'm looking for links with prove that there is cures, and caught early can improve your chances a lot because I want to show him the proof. Also he's 58 and has nothing else wrong with him (had blood tests done to make sure of other things)