School authorities have decided to shut down Junior and senior high schools in St. Louis Park, Minnesota after the asbestos floor tiles seemed to be breaking apart because of tracked-in sand and salt.

According to a state health official, the tiles didn't appear to present an immediate health danger to the approximately 1,000 students at both schools.

"For any parent with kids there, they should not be concerned, "Dan Locher, supervisor of the asbestos and lead unit at the Minnesota Department of Health, told the Star Tribune.”Most likely they weren't getting exposed to asbestos”.

Experts conducted a detailed test after some staff at the school complained about the dust outside a nurse’s office. It is suspected that a protective wax layer on flooring at the high school has been worn down by salt and sand tracked in from roads and sidewalks.

Experts suggest that it can lead to grave health dangers as asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer, malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis. There have been many lawsuits in the recent years where the hazardous mineral was the focus of many asbestos settlements.

According to a research, around 2,500 individuals are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year, with 80 percent of these cases directly attributed to asbestos exposure.