Parents leave their children in playgrounds, trusting it’s a safe environment for them to play actively. The swings, slides, and see-saws are familiar, and their hazards are generally understood by parents. What about the sand? The very base of the playground? Sandy parks have been occupied for centuries, yet its side effects only uncovered 40 years ago. Three major components in sand that harm children include, quartz, biological pathogens, and heavy metals., A variety of crystalline silica is quartz and the scientists say quartz dust, is a known cancer-causing agent. Play sand can contain high levels of quartz, but it becomes hazardous only if it is crushed into fine breathable dust! This issue has come to my concern, as in my childhood, I’d love to throw and kick sand, forming these dust clouds which could potentially cause silicosis if inhaled. Awareness and research in this topic is significantly lower, compared to occupational cases of silicosis. No specific national regulations mandatory for the silica content of sand used in public playgrounds.Hence exposure increases the risk of chronic bronchitis, kidney disease, etc., Secondly, biological pathogens like parasites are common, especially in playgrounds. Wild animals or rodents tend to carry parasites into open sand boxes, contaminating it. Severe infections with roundworms and its eggs affect children frequently.Mainly because children have a habit of putting hands in their mouths, the pathogen enters via a faecal oral route. Lastly, heavy metal contamination in sand. Children are especially vulnerable because of their developing lungs and nervous systems, low body weight, high absorption rates, and frequent hand-to-mouth contact.Kids are poisoned by metals such as lead, zinc and arsenic., I feel that this problem must not be overlooked any longer, given that, alert was triggered in November 2025 after the discovery of asbestos in imported play sand in Australia and New Zealand.