Is There Lead and Carcinogenic Chemicals Underneath Your Child's Playgrounds

Recycled tires can not be placed in landfills due to their toxicity ... but when they are shredded and repurposed its ok to place them in our kid’s playground……

Do your kids play at the local park ( ok, maybe pre and post Covid?)

What kind of flooring does your local or school playground have? If its a colorful, bouncy, rubber surface (called poured in place (PIP) rubber) it is likely made of - even partially- recycled tires ( crumb rubber).

Poured-in-Place rubber flooring ( the solid colorful flooring we are talking about) is a 2-layer system consisting of a cushion layer, made of shredded tires or SBR (Styrene Butadiene Rubber) and polyurethane, and a top surface consisting of recycled post-industrial or new rubber and polyurethane.

Is this commonly used in playgrounds?

The toxicity of recycled tires in artificial sports turf is well documented and I personally thought this was being phased out, but as of 2019:

“ 22% of crumb rubber (recycled tires - in the US) is used in playgrounds. That’s the second-highest use of tires behind sports fields, also frequented by youth.”

In fact so much crumb rubber is used in the US that “between 2007 and 2013, enough ground tire waste was used as playground mulch to leave the equivalent of two 4”-deep wheel-wide tracks along Earth’s equator.

Why do we want to avoid rubber flooring made of recycled tires?

LEAD
This type of crumb rubber can contain lead. Lead exposure, even low levels, can cause learning disabilities, hearing difficulties, behavior problems, and actually impact a child’s IQ.
Last year ( 2019) Very high levels of lead ( all over the EPA’s limit of 400 ppm - some with up to 7,000 parts per million- California limits lead in soil to 80 ppm) were found in 17 elementary school playground in Washington DC made of recycled tires ( the highest levels were found in broken/deteriorating areas)
Also last year, in Boston, researchers from Harvard looked at 28 different playgrounds with sand, wooden mulch, soil, and rubber were tested. The findings showed 2 to 3 times the amount of lead in the poured-in-place rubber than any of the other surfaces (most were under the 400ppm EPA limit)

But its not only lead: rubber playgrounds that use recycled tires can also expose your kids to:

2. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH’s) – Breathing in PAH’s are suspected by the EPA to cause cancer and birth defects. This happens when the temperature rises ( hello summer!) and the chemicals are released.

3. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) linked to respiratory issues, allergies, and immune problems. There can also be headaches, nausea, and liver and kidney damage. VOC’s can also affect the central nervous system.

4. 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) . 2-MBT has been ruled as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization, as well as a skin irritant that causes contact dermatitis

5. Phthalates : these hormones mimicking chemicals, also common in plastics and fragrances, mimic or block female hormones, or in males, suppress the hormones involved in male sexual development. They are linked to damage in the reproductive system, as well as liver, and respiratory system

6. Arsenic- a heavy metal with neurotoxic potential.

7. Many have added anti-microbial and anti-fungal chemicals (both endocrine disruptors) baked in and with PFAS chemicals recently found in artificial turf it is very likely they are being used in poured in place rubber playground flooring too as many that I have seen are marketed as “stain resistant” (but, I have not found any research on this yet)

Even if your local park doesn’t use recycled tires, synthetic rubber isnt great either and can also contain: phthalates (chemicals that affect hormones) volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Styrene and Butadiene ( known carcinogens

How kids are exposed:

Lead: The highest levels of lead are, thankfully, not on the surface. These higher levels were found in worn or damaged/ broken areas. Kids walk , play on or crawl on the loose fragments and ingest, breathes them in and even bring them home
Voc: kids are exposed by breathing in these chemicals while playing- especially on hot days
A single incident of eating or touching tire shreds or playing on these playgrounds would not harm a child’s health, but repeated or long-term exposure might

What it means for you

Free play in playground is super important for children’s social and physical development - if the only parks near you have PIP rubber flooring make sure to take these measures to keep it safe!

Wash your kids hands after playing at a playground ( which you should be doing always!)
Know how to id playgrounds that have this flooring- look at your local park and school. If the rubber flooring is worn or deteriorating avoid that area
Avoid rubber floored parks on very hot days
Clean any toys that were used on a playground after the visit.
Ask questions: Parents can ask school officials what infill is used in the playground, and demand that schools and school districts avoid using crumb rubber…. and fix areas that are worn or damaged

Final Reminder:

Children are more more vulnerable to carcinogenic chemicals than adults because their cells, their organs, are going through such rapid growth and development

No safe levels of lead for children . Period

Better alternatives

Wood mulch: but confirm it does not contain chromated copper arsenate (also called CCA) and make sure it is getting replaced each year as the wood decomposes
Sand: Sand that is derived from quarried quartz rocks, contains crystalline silica, a carcinogen and lung irritant. If choosing sand make sure it is ‘silica free’ (free crystalline silica dust.) sand and tested and free of asbestos. One way of finding out is asking your sand supplier for their MSDS (Material Data Safety Sheet) report. If you see a label that says “Not labeled for sale in California”, don’t buy it. The State of California requires this cancer warning label on bags of sand containing crystalline silica.

I think this quote by Suzanne Wuerthele, a former EPA toxicologist who is now retired, says it all

“This was a serious no-brainer. You take something with all kinds of hazardous materials and make it something kids play on? It seems like a dumb idea.”

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