Comment
CPSC has released a Federal Research Action Plan on Recycled Tire Crumb Used on Playing Fields and Playgrounds (FRAP). The purpose of the FRAP is to study key questions concerning the potential for human exposure resulting from the use of tire crumb rubber in playing fields and playgrounds. This kind of information is important for any follow up evaluation of risk that might be performed.
It is fair to say that the EPA may well reach similar conclusions to the ECHA; that is, as yet, an unknown. But at least they, and the other US agencies, are conductiong their own research, rather than gathering information from already published data, as the ECHA has done.
That method surely leads to cherry picking the research that supports the argument. And it certainly would not be difficult to find ‘evidence and theories’ that support the counter argument.
So, given that this ‘must read’ document has made its way into the public domain, what recommendations for rubber crumb infill do the ECHA offer?
1. Consider changes to the REACH Regulation to ensure that rubber granules are only supplied with very low concentrations of PAHs and other relevant hazardous substances.
2. Owners and operators of existing (outdoor and indoor) fields should measure the concentrations of PAHs and other substances
in the rubber granules used in their fields and make this information available to interested parties in an understandable manner.
3. Producers of rubber granules and their interest organisations should develop guidance to help all manufacturers and importers of (recycled) rubber infill test their material.
4. European sports and football associations and clubs should work with the relevant producers to ensure that information related to the safety of rubber granules in synthetic turfs is communicated in a manner understandable to the players and the general public.
5. Owners and operators of existing indoor fields with rubber granule infills should ensure adequate ventilation.
In addition, ECHA recommends that players using the synthetic pitches should take basic hygiene measures after playing on artificial turf containing recycled rubber granules. For example, they should always wash their hands after playing on the field and before eating, quickly clean any cuts or scrapes, take off their shoes/cleats, sports equipment and soiled uniforms outside to prevent tracking crumb rubber into the house, and any players who accidentally get rubber in their mouths should not swallow it.
Given that the ECHA consider the product to be safe, the list of conclusions and recommendations seem inordinately long.
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Surely they would have been better to wait for the EPA’s findings later this year rather than fudge the issue.
As I have said all along, rubber crumb may well prove to be a safe and viable product to use as an infill on 3G surfaces, around play areas and such like, but please can we have a definitive statement to that effect, not some half-baked evaluation designed to placate those on the other side of the debate.
Rubber crumb may well prove to be a safe and viable product, but please can we have a definitive statement to that effect, not some half- baked evaluation designed to placate those on the other side of the debate
”
Sports Grounds
Verti-Drain 7626
Rink SP950
Tool Carrier
Overseeder 1275
Turf Tidy 3000
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