The first of 17 public schools closed on Friday due to fears of asbestos exposure has reopened, as an epidemiologist says parents should not be concerned.

Sixteen schools in the ACT and one in Brisbane were shut down on Friday after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued a national recall notice for coloured sand products when testing detected traces of asbestos.

The sand products are used in sensory play at some schools.

What to know about the coloured sand recall

Sixteen public schools in Canberra are closed today and several others are partially closed due to potential asbestos contamination in coloured sand sold at dozens of stores across Australia. Here's what we know.

'Extremely low' risk

Professor Martyn Kirk from the National Centre for Epidemiology

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