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CDC says Study on Safety of “Crumb Rubber” Could Take Two More Years

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

‘Ridgewood NJ, in 2015 and 20016 Three federal agencies are teaming up to investigate the safety of crumb rubber artificial turf used in playing fields and playground all across the country,the investigation was the subject of a series on NBC News .NBC reported that the “The Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced an “action plan” on Friday to answer questions raised about synthetic turf made from recycled tires and possible risks for young athletes.”

The recycling industry repeatedly has said the fields are safe, and that numerous studies have failed to find any link between crumb rubber and cancer, or any other risk.

Others studies, however, raise concerns about the prospect of children breathing, swallowing or having skin contact with these pulverized pieces of old tires. One 2015 report identified high levels of arsenic and cadmium, known human carcinogens, in several samples of rubber mulch from recycled tires. Other researchers have found varying levels of lead in the fields they tested.

A 2015 study at Yale University found 96 chemicals in 14 samples of crumb rubber infill and rubber mulch used in playgrounds. The study found that almost half of the detected chemicals had not been screened for toxicity, and of the rest, 20 percent were considered to be probable carcinogens.

More famously, a women’s soccer coach at the University of Washington garnered headlines after she began collecting anecdotal evidence in 2009 of young athletes who were diagnosed with cancer after playing on this form of synthetic turf. Amy Griffin, a former American soccer star, reported that soccer goalies – who dive and slide on the turf – had a higher incidence of cancer than other players.

The Washington State Department of Health investigated and found that the number of cancers among soccer players on Griffin’s list was lower than expected, based on rates among Washington residents of the same ages. In its 2017 report, the department recommended that “people who enjoy soccer continue to play irrespective of the type of field surface.”

 In a Federal Register notice in late December, the toxic substances agency said it is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget  to expand the research to a larger pool of subjects. It would include about 150 children and adults who play on crumb rubber fields and a comparison group of 50 who play on natural grass. Besides issuing questionnaires to the participants about activity patterns and diet, for instance, the researchers also will analyze urine samples, according to the Federal Register notice.

The CDC, which oversees the toxic substances agency, says the additional research would take two years.

One thought on “CDC says Study on Safety of “Crumb Rubber” Could Take Two More Years

  1. That garbage will end up being ripped out to prevent lawsuits when the CDC declares it dangerous. Anything in the contract that will pay for removal and give us our money back?

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