Children exposed to toxic, coloured sand that's forced dozens of schools to close, face an extremely low risk of asbestos contamination, an expert says.

Families have been told they shouldn't be alarmed by the asbestos scare after the tainted rainbow-coloured sand sold in shops across Australia was removed from shelves and located in schools.

About 70 schools in the ACT have also been closed for decontamination after the toxic substance was reported in a number of brands of children's sand products.

Asbestos is a "deadly dust" and exposure to even a small amount can lead to terrible consequences, the Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute's Anthony Linton said.

But asbestos did not appear to be airborne in the latest scare which helped minimise the risk, he said.

"They (people)

See Full Page