Hazardous chemicals in outdoor and indoor surfaces: artificial turf and laminate flooring

Ultra-tough artificial woods of polyphenol-derived biodegradable Co-polymer with Poly(butylene succinate)

“…Pan et al have developed xylem-like monoliths (XMs) with honeycomb-like penetrating microchannels using unidirectional freeze-drying approach [ 13 ]. However, the use of toxic chemicals in the production of artificial wood and its non-degradability in the environment are still problematic and thus invite alternative designs that utilize biobased bottom-up strategies to develop the artificially engineered wood [ [14] , [15] , [16] ]. We previously developed environmentally-degradable aromatic biobased polyesters using phenolic bio-monomers such as p -coumaric acid (4-hydroxycinnamic acid; 4HCA), m -coumaric acid (3-hydroxycinnamic acid), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (ferulic acid), and caffeic acid (3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid; DHCA), showing better thermal and mechanical performances than conventional biobased polyesters [ [17] , [18] , [19] ].…”

Assessing children’s potential exposures to harmful metals in tire crumb rubber by accelerated photodegradation weathering

“…According to the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association ( https://www.ustires.org/scrap-tire-markets ), end-use markets consumed 81.4% of scrap tires generated in the U.S. in 2017, which includes tire-derived fuel (> 43%), tire crumb rubber (TCR) applications (≈ 25%), civil engineering products (≈ 7.9%), and other markets (≈ 7.4%), and accounts for more than 205 million scrap tires. About 25% and 22% of the TCR were used in sports surfacing and playground tiles/mulches, respectively, and their use is expected to increase further because TCR can absorb shock and reduce physical injuries 1 , 2 . Yet there have been increasing concerns over the potential human exposure to harmful chemicals including organic contaminants and metals after repetitive physical contact with the aging TCR products, particularly on children’s playgrounds 2 – 4 .…”

“…About 25% and 22% of the TCR were used in sports surfacing and playground tiles/mulches, respectively, and their use is expected to increase further because TCR can absorb shock and reduce physical injuries 1 , 2 . Yet there have been increasing concerns over the potential human exposure to harmful chemicals including organic contaminants and metals after repetitive physical contact with the aging TCR products, particularly on children’s playgrounds 2 – 4 .…”