A comprehensive report commissioned by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) reveals that athletic fields and playgrounds constructed with ground rubber made from scrap tires pose no adverse human or ecological health effects.
“We believe this report will add to the growing body of evidence showing that the use of scrap tire rubber in these applications is not only safe, but has several major safety benefits,” says Michael Blumenthal, RMA vice president. “This report has reviewed the worldwide wealth of knowledge on this topic and we are hopeful that it will contribute to correcting any misperceptions about tire rubber in the environment.”
The report, Review of the Human Health & Ecological Safety of Exposure to Recycled Tire Rubber found at Playgrounds and Synthetic Turf Fields, is available for download at www.rma.org.
It evaluated the health and ecological risks associated with the use of recycled tire rubber in consumer applications, particularly playgrounds and athletic fields.
A thorough review of available literature was conducted including studies from both advocates and opponents to the use of recycled tire materials. An examination of the weight of evidence across all of the available studies was conducted to enable a comprehensive assessment of potential risk.
The use of recycled tire rubber is widely used as an infill material for synthetic sports fields and as a floor cover for playgrounds. Both applications take advantage of the exceptional cushioning characteristics of tire rubber and provide increased safety relative to other materials.
Athletic fields and playground cover are two of the fastest-growing and largest end uses for recycled ground tire rubber. Approximately 13 million scrap tires are used in these applications annually.
