UK Issues Advisory on Asbestos in Products Containing Sand

SG 041/26

The United Kingdom (UK) has published an advisory to assist businesses with testing asbestos in consumer products containing sand.

On March 2, 2026, the UK’s Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued a technical advisory note on testing asbestos in consumer products containing sand, such as toys, hobby products and decorative products. 

Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals composed of various mineral forms and fiber types. These fibers are resistant to heat and corrosion and can pose a health risk if they become airborne and are inhaled. 

This document emphasizes that UK legislation prohibits the placing on the market of products containing asbestos fibers due to their classification as carcinogens. It also sets out OPSS’ position on the most appropriate testing methodologies for asbestos in these products.

The advisory note details three methods:

• Polarized light microscopy (PLM), an optical microscopy technique that uses polarized light. This technique is suitable for materials with high levels of asbestos and larger fibers, such as bulk construction materials, but is generally not reliable when asbestos is present at low levels (less than 0.1%) and may miss very fine or thin fibers
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are both electron-based laboratory techniques used to detect very small fibers that cannot be reliably identified using standard optical methods. These highly sensitive techniques can detect asbestos concentrations below 0.1% and very fine or thin asbestos fibers

The OPSS recommends SEM and TEM for detecting asbestos in consumer products containing sand such as toys, hobby products and decorative products due to their ability to reliably identify asbestos at low concentrations (below 0.1%), and very fine or thin asbestos fibers.

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