- Cops: Illegal alien attacks elderly woman in Saratoga
- Man mauled by bull at Herkimer Co. farm
- Facebook push for Spa City Memorial Day Parade
- Man survives 180-foot plunge over Niagara Falls
- What is hate? Rutgers webcam, suicide case rekindles debate
- 13K without power in Rensselaer County on Monday
- Cuomo: Raising minimum wage impossible politically
- Buckle Up! 2-week seatbelt crackdown begins Monday
- 2012 Memorial Day Parades
- More information required for Schenectady gun buyback program
- Rensselaer starts 'Click It, Or Ticket' campaign on Monday
- Solar-powered boat cruises Erie Canal, Waterford
- Saratoga teacher arrested for inappropriate contact with student
- Colonie man arrested on child porn charges
- Woman shot in Gloversville
- Schenectady church damaged in fire
- 20 years for man who raped, tried to infect ex with HIV
- Woman crashes into Stewart's Shop
- Cuomo ends finger printing for Food Stamps
- The Real Deal: Free cell phones pulled from 130K people
- NY-Vt. bridge designer to help celebrate new span at weekend opening
- Ft. Ticonderoga opens for 103rd season
- Spa City Memorial Day Parade canceled
- Retired pharmacist indicted on fed. charges for Albany Med. mercury incident
- Saratoga man stole truck, kidnapped girlfriend
- Vt. could get $30 million more for Irene damage
- 8th anniversary of gay marriage in Massachusetts
- 4 charged in Catskill drug bust
- Four arrested for drug sales in Greene County
- Bethlehem man sentenced for sexually abusing child
- Two arrested at fracking rally
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- Fire breaks out at Albany home
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- Drug Bust at Methadone Clinic
- Looting Continues in Schoharie County
- Cobleskill Village Attorney Arrested
- Man survives fall in Schenectady
- Kids questioned in Hamilton Hill fire
- AP: Saratoga Springs' Arcadius dies after winning race
- Arrest made in Saratoga Springs shooting
- NY commission recommends removal of East Greenbush judge, Schilling
- Serious 2 car crash in Saratoga shuts down Brook Road
- DiNapoli's nuclear safety review proposal fails
- NY provides $25M to help fund summer jobs
- US, Canada move to end train screening stop
- $200M sought in NY suit over Costa Concordia crash
- TRAFFIC ALERT: Albany road closures, parking restrictions for HBO movie shoot
- Bail set at $1M for man accused of Rotterdam bomb attacks
- Big price tag puts future of NYC Ballet at SPAC in jeopardy
- Obama backs same-sex marriage; Daughters influenced decision
- 1862 Remembering the Great Troy Fire
- Saratoga, Ticonderoga historic sites recall infamous traitor, Benedict Arnold, early heroics
- Local soldiers head to Afghanistan for 9 months
- Celebrating 150 years at Saratoga Race Course
- Crews start dredging PCBs in Fort Edward
- Cuomo: I won't push Obama on gay marriage
- High water closes eastern stretch of Erie Canal
- More minorities taking FDNY exam
- Whitney Gala tradition is over
- 'Bold & the Beautiful' showtime change
- Gov. Cuomo to greet President Obama upon arrival
- NYRA talks underway at the Capitol
- Road closues for Tuesday's presidential visit
- Police say foul play involved in Kentucky Derby death
- Al-Qaida releases video of American hostage
- Twitter is essential tool for presidential 2012 campaign
- Senate turns to partisan fight over student loans
- Analysis: In Obama visit, watch Cuomo, Clinton
- NY medical schools chart progress with stem cells
- Northeast Kidney Foundation Walk
- Multiple Sclerosis Walk
- Six on Seniors: Staying Young -- 'Older American's Month'
- DA: Deadly Salem home explosion case will be presented to grand jury
- Sources: President Obama to make speech in Albany, not Malta
- Cops: Man had sex with 14-year-old boy in Albany alleyway
- Troy man accused of robbing 84-year-old woman in court
- A call for action to keep invaders out of Lake George waters
- Report: NY regulations for drilling waste too lax
- Classes cancelled for North Warren School District
- Road Closures Slated for Fuller Road Project
- Colonie deficit eliminated; First positive fund balance since 2005
- Teen arrested for attempted robbery at Albany bowling alley
- VT police shoot dog on playground
- Hoosick Falls CSD closed Thursday
- VT lawmakers agree to ban hydrofracking
- Biker arrested, clocked at 170mph on Thruway
- Cuomo to join volunteers for NY parks clean-up day
- Troy man arrested for Brunswick home invasion robbery
- Police: Schenectady man didn't register as sex offender
The Real Deal: Is Play Sand Dangerous?
UPDATED: 2:24 PM EDT
By: Jennifer Lewke
SCHENECTADY - A summer staple in backyards across our region has now been slapped with a frightening warning. Some packages of play sand sold a big box retailers like Walmart and Home Depot have an alert telling parents it could cause cancer. Experts tell CBS6 though, that's not the whole story.
[Click to watch the full report]
Nothing says summer like playing in the sand. "They love it, they play in it everyday" says Rebbecca Henriksen a mother of two from Schenectady. Lalia Case, who has two kids under the age of 5, agrees, "my kids absolutely love playing in the sand," she says.
But as you head to the store to buy sand to fill-up that backyard sandbox for your kids, you may notice a warning on the bag that reads: "This product contains Crystalline Silica, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and other substances which are known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects and reproductive harm."
"Hearing it, does concern me," says Henriksen. "I have really never looked at the back of the packaging but yes, I guess it would concern me" adds Case. But a local toxicologist says the warning is misleading and parents shouldn't be concerned.
"It doesn't pose any hazard for those of us who are playing in it and have been playing in it for years," says Dr. Heather Long who is toxicologist at Albany Medical Center. Crystalline Silica is a mineral that washes down the mountains and settles along the coastlines. It's at every beach you bring your kids to. So, why does the State of California require the warning? "Pounding Crystalline Silica, such as sand blasting it or other types of occupational exposures, does pose a risk to those workers who are exposed to high levels of this," says Dr. Long but it has to be very high levels for a very long period of time. "I have two boys and I am never happier than when they are playing in the sandbox for hours," Dr. Long says.
There are companies who seem to be trying to capitalize off of parents concerns about the warning and mineral who now offer "Safe-Sand" which is free of Crystalline Silica. Dr. Long says you're paying extra to protect against something that's not dangerous to your child.
Here's the Real Deal: Don't waste your money on the expensive stuff. The play sand you find at any big box retailer is safe and ready to be used to build sand-castles this summer.
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- Rensselaer starts 'Click It, Or Ticket' campaign on Monday
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- Woman crashes into Stewart's Shop
- Cuomo ends finger printing for Food Stamps
- The Real Deal: Free cell phones pulled from 130K people
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Featured Story 
The Real Deal: Is Play Sand Dangerous?
UPDATED: 2:24 PM EDT
By: Jennifer Lewke
SCHENECTADY - A summer staple in backyards across our region has now been slapped with a frightening warning. Some packages of play sand sold a big box retailers like Walmart and Home Depot have an alert telling parents it could cause cancer. Experts tell CBS6 though, that's not the whole story.
[Click to watch the full report]
Nothing says summer like playing in the sand. "They love it, they play in it everyday" says Rebbecca Henriksen a mother of two from Schenectady. Lalia Case, who has two kids under the age of 5, agrees, "my kids absolutely love playing in the sand," she says.
But as you head to the store to buy sand to fill-up that backyard sandbox for your kids, you may notice a warning on the bag that reads: "This product contains Crystalline Silica, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and other substances which are known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects and reproductive harm."
"Hearing it, does concern me," says Henriksen. "I have really never looked at the back of the packaging but yes, I guess it would concern me" adds Case. But a local toxicologist says the warning is misleading and parents shouldn't be concerned.
"It doesn't pose any hazard for those of us who are playing in it and have been playing in it for years," says Dr. Heather Long who is toxicologist at Albany Medical Center. Crystalline Silica is a mineral that washes down the mountains and settles along the coastlines. It's at every beach you bring your kids to. So, why does the State of California require the warning? "Pounding Crystalline Silica, such as sand blasting it or other types of occupational exposures, does pose a risk to those workers who are exposed to high levels of this," says Dr. Long but it has to be very high levels for a very long period of time. "I have two boys and I am never happier than when they are playing in the sandbox for hours," Dr. Long says.
There are companies who seem to be trying to capitalize off of parents concerns about the warning and mineral who now offer "Safe-Sand" which is free of Crystalline Silica. Dr. Long says you're paying extra to protect against something that's not dangerous to your child.
Here's the Real Deal: Don't waste your money on the expensive stuff. The play sand you find at any big box retailer is safe and ready to be used to build sand-castles this summer.
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