Is the dust from polymeric sand harmful?
Checking the MSDS from several polymeric sand manufacturers, they all recommend using some sort of breathing protection while using polymeric sand. It’s not known whether the polymer is harmful, but one of the primary ingredients to most poly joint sands is silica (the same as in any silica sand). Prolonged inhalation of silica can cause silicosis, which is an inflammation and scarring of lung tissue which can lead to fibrosis of the lungs and an increased risk of tuberculosis. Silica as not an ingredient unique to polymeric sand and can be found in many other products.
