It's considered the gold standard in playground safety. Ground up tires, used as mulch to soften the floor at playgrounds and sports fields, keeping kids safe as they run, climb and inevitably, fall. Not only has it long been considered kid-friendly, it's eco-friendly too -- nearly 300 million old tires are used each year to make bouncy material, saving tons of landfill space. But according to an article from the Associated Press, now government officials are taking a second look at the safety of the popular product.
A new study currently underway by the Environmental Protection Agency cites a lack of information about the potential risks of repeated exposure to the chemicals in the tires which often include carcinogens. The EPA's scientists are reportedly asking for a larger, more in-depth investigation. The final results of the study, which began in 2008, will be available later this summer.
"From everything I've been able to see, I'm not sure there's an imminent hazard but it's something we're investigating," Michael Firestone, EPA's head of children's health protection told the AP. "It's critical to take a look at all the data together."
What type of mulch is on the playgrounds you frequent? Does this type of news make you nervous?
Our city parks use traditional wood mulch. It’s actually very practical because they make it from the limbs that come down and have to be cleaned up from storm damage. Other playgrounds in the area use a variety of things from tires, to mulch, to gravel.
Our city parks and our son’s day care have wood chips and our daughter’s school has pea gravel, which I find super-annoying. It’s very dusty and the kids love to fling handfuls of it down the slides and at each other!
Our church, and some of my friends, have spent thousands of dollars on that tire mulch. It’s definitely nice and comfy for the kids. It would be really distressing to find out that it’s dangerous.
I live in South Texas and today I went by a playground with tire mulch and the smell from the fumes was almost unbearable. I couldn’t help but think that this cannot be healthy. After all we heard so much about how dangerous chemicals are when they are exposed to heat (it’s 98 F today). Not talking about the unpleasant smell that reminds me more of a tire junkyard than a playground.
My guess is that Turf fields with rubber tires will be the cause our next major health issue. My son played Very high level soccer, 5 days per week year round. He was a Goalkeeper, at 17 he came down with Cancer. In his club, 4 other “Goalkeepers” had cancer also, @ 2 others had immune deficiency issues, lost hair etc. All these kids were in Perfect fitness. Only the Goalkeepers were affected. They are the ones diving to the ground. They get the rubber balls in their mouth, eyes etc. These Select soccer kids play year round, no breaks. It makes sense they would be affected most. Too many kids, too sick, coincidence?? I say not!
Our town just recent did a community build for a playground at a local park. They filled the entire area with ground up tire mulch. I took my grandchildren to go play for the first time yesterday and within 5 minutes I was having a severe allergic reaction. The “fumes” from the large concentration of rubber caused the reaction. (I have a latex allergy.) Luckily the EMS station is across from the park, but within 10 minutes I was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Today I have been looking into the safety of using rubber mulch and I have found too many disturbing questions surround the safety of its use-particular for children (and adults) with allergy sensitivities and asthma. I strongly urge the EPA to do more in depth studies on this!