News


PAHs transfer to water and air, study suggests


EU and US publications on rubber crumb due in a few weeks


Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in rubber crumb, used in synthetic turf for sports pitches, quickly transfer into rain water and air, according to research by scientists in Spain.


Transfer to other media increases the geographic range over which exposures might occur and potentially opens up new routes of exposure.


The safety of rubber crumb is under consideration by regulators in the US and the EU, with major publications expected on the subject in the next few months. The Spanish research could bolster the case for stricter controls on use of the material, which is produced by grinding up old vehicle tyres.


The scientists, led by Maria Llompart Vizoso at the University of Santiago de Compostela, constructed a list of 40 target substances based on previous work. The list comprised:


‐ 16 PAHs ‐ 15 phthalates ‐ three adipates ‐ three vulcanisation additives ‐ two antioxidants ‐ bisphenol A


They collected rubber samples from 15 synthetic turf football fields, built between 2009 and 2011, in the Santiago de Compostela region. They then used ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) and gas‐


chromatography, mass


spectrometry (GC‐MS) to separate and measure the component substances. They also analysed the transfer of substances to rain water and air, using samples from two of the sites.


The material samples contained 24 of the target substances, and 13 transferred to the rain water, with vulcanisation additive BTZ detected at a concentration of 120milligrammes per litre (mg/L). And several transferred to the air. The scientists also found heavy metals, including cadmium, chromium and lead, in the material samples.


Three US federal agencies, including the EPA, launched a joint action plan on the safety of rubber crumb in 2016. That plan is due to deliver its draft report for external peer review this spring, followed by a final report mid‐year.


Meanwhile, in the EU, the Netherlands is preparing a proposal to restrict the use of 8 PAHs in rubber crumb for synthetic turf under REACH. A submission to Echa is expected by 20 July. Professor Llompart Vizoso says that that EU‐level action on the material, such as the intended Dutch proposal, is urgently needed.


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