Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Minimizing the Environmental Impact of Construction Materials in Playground Design
EPA Grant Number: SU832476Title: Minimizing the Environmental Impact of Construction Materials in Playground Design
Investigators: Lima, Marybeth , Bridges, T. Kyle , Abadie, Alicia , Jones, Jacqueline , Qureshi, Talha
Institution: Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: September 30, 2005 through May 30, 2006
Project Amount: $10,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2005) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Challenge Area - Chemical Safety , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
Playgrounds are a critical part of childhood development and are found in great numbers in Louisiana and throughout the United States. Well-designed playgrounds are a critical part of childhood and contribute substantially to the physical, mental, educational, and social growth of children. Playground safety standards are governed by ASTM (the American Society for Testing and Materials) and the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission). Our project focuses on two aspects of playground design that speak directly to people, prosperity, and the planet: they include research on the materials used for playground safety surfacing (PSS) and the material used to construct the play structures. The research developed for Phase I can ultimately lead to playground safety standards set by the CPSC and ASTM, which in turn, have a direct bearing on future playground designs that have a positive impact on people, prosperity, and the planet.
PSS is a critical component of any playground design; materials to break falls under and around play equipment are extremely important. Approximately 200,000 children are injured on playgrounds every year, and 79% of these injuries are from falls. PSS can constitute nearly one-third of the total playground budget; its expense often results in under-surfaced (or non-surfaced) play equipment. The use of sugarcane bagasse as a PSS material is being proposed because of its similarity to wood mulch, which is already a common surfacing material. Currently, sugarcane bagasse is considered a waste product by the sugar milling industry and is readily available in South Louisiana at a nominal price. The objective of this research is to determine if sugarcane bagasse meets the accessibility standards set for PSS by ASTM F1951.
One common playground building material found in the Baton Rouge, LA area is CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenic) pressure-treated wood. This type of treatment contains arsenic, which is a known human carcinogen. The arsenic is able to leach from the wood into the soil and onto the skin of those who come into contact with the structure. Some research has been conducted on arsenic leaching from CCA pressure-treated wood in water, but no research that we are aware of specifically addresses arsenic leaching into soil and PSS on playgrounds. The objective of this research is to determine a soil profile of the arsenic concentrations radially outward from playground support posts in three directions and at different depths as a function of time (using playgrounds 5, 15, and 40 years old). The objective of this study is to collect arsenic concentration profiles in soil to quantify this data for informational and safety purposes. The ultimate goal is to make recommendations for a low-cost method that could possibly reduce the arsenic leachate rate into the soil and onto the children who use the play equipment.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
At this time, we do not have data to present on either project. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated South Louisiana in August and September, 2005. Although Baton Rouge was relatively unaffected in a direct way, we have experienced great changes as a result of these storms, some of which have affected the speed at which we have been able to complete our project. Data for arsenic leaching has been collected at the 5 and 15 year old playgrounds and is currently being analyzed by the Agricultural Chemistry Department. The data for arsenic leaching at the 40 year old playground sites is in the process of being collected. We cannot collect data on the accessibility of sugarcane bagasse until we receive a rotational penetrometer specifically developed for PSS, which has been ordered and paid for (we are now waiting for delivery of this equipment). We should have the arsenic data by the May poster portion of the competition; we will most likely not have sugarcane bagasse accessibility data until later this year.
Conclusions:
Although our lack of data precludes any technical conclusions at this time, based on experience, we strongly encourage all teams to have contingency plans should laboratories become inoperative or personnel become re-oriented, re-focused, or otherwise unable to complete work.
Supplemental Keywords:
Waste reduction, public good, health effects, ecological effects, vulnerability, RFA, Scientific Discipline, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Sustainable Industry/Business, Environmental Chemistry, Sustainable Environment, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Chemicals Management, Environmental Engineering, green design, bagasse surface, ecological design, environmental conscious construction, playground construction, alternative materials, arsenic removal, construction material, pollution prevention, chemically sensitive interfaces, environmentally conscious designThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.