Characterization of substances released from crumb rubber material used on artificial turf fields

New approach to the ecotoxicological risk assessment of artificial outdoor sporting grounds

“…Due to their components, especially styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) from recycled scrap tires and plastics like thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) and ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM), there is an increasing concern about potential environmental and health hazards (Li et al, 2010;Menichini et al, 2011). Among the most important contaminants that may be released from synthetic surfaces and sporting grounds are zinc from zinc oxide used as vulcanization catalyst (Bocca et al, 2009;Hofstra, 2009), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) used as softening agents (Wengert, 2007), volatile compounds and additives like benzothiazole (Li et al, 2010), as well as aniline and phenol (Lim and Walker, 2009). Menichini et al conducted an initial risk assessment of PAH in ambient air above artificial turfs filled with recycled rubber and calculated an excess lifetime cancer risk of 1*10 À6 (Menichini et al, 2011).…”

The degree of flammability for an artificial grass surface system

“…Literature presents information from a risk assessment related to the surrounding air over pitches of artificial grass made of recycled rubber, and the risk of cancer was found to be 1*10 6 [11]. However, to date not much information has been gained as to the ecological and toxicological consequences arising from the use of artificial turf [5,6,[9][10][11][12]. The main part of studies in this respect is focused on an assessment of the ecotoxicity of rubber used for tyres.…”

“…The most important pollutants that can be released from synthetic surfaces and surfacing are compounds of zinc of the zinc oxide used as a catalyser in the vulcanisation process [2], using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) as softeners [9], volatile compounds and such admixtures, as benzothiazole, as well as aniline and phenol [9,10]. Literature presents information from a risk assessment related to the surrounding air over pitches of artificial grass made of recycled rubber, and the risk of cancer was found to be 1*10 6 [11].…”

Release of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Heavy Metals from Rubber Crumb in Synthetic Turf Fields: Preliminary Hazard Assessment for Athletes

“…As a precautionary measure, it issued general recommendations for users to minimize any potential risk, such as wash aggressively hand and body after playing, do not eat and drink on the field and do not use clothes and shoes after the activity for normal life [12]. Some studies have focused on levels of heavy metals, such as Zn, or PAHs in tyre rubber, both in granulates and in leachate [3,[13][14][15] evaluating also the ecotoxicological effects in different organisms and humans [14,[16][17][18][19]. In response to concern about human exposure through direct contact or inhalation, the principal aims of this study were: 1) to quantify the PAHs and heavy metals contained in rubber crumb from recycled tyres, produced before 2010 [20].…”