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Study to Characterize Chemicals in Tire Crumb Materials Used on Fields
Citation:
Thomas, K., A. Guiseppi-Elie, J. Zambrana, E. Irvin-Barnwell, AND A. Ragin-Wilson. Study to Characterize Chemicals in Tire Crumb Materials Used on Fields. 2018 APHA Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, November 10 - 14, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
Tire crumb rubber from recycled tires is widely used as infill material in the 12,000+ synthetic turf fields in the United States. Tire crumb rubber is a complex material, with many potential chemical substances, presenting challenges for assessing human exposures. As part of U.S. Federal Research Action Plan on Recycled Tire Crumb Used on Playing Fields tire crumb rubber samples were collected from recycling plants and synthetic turf fields around the United States. Multiple analytical methods were applied to measure a wide range of particles, metals, VOCs, and SVOCs. The research is designed to improve our understanding and knowledge of tire crumb rubber material for assessing synthetic field user exposures. The Federal Research will be of interest to synthetic turf field users, communities and schools, and industry stakeholders.
Description:
Researchers collected tire crumb rubber samples from nine U.S. tire recycling plants and 40 synthetic turf fields. Metal and SVOC rubber constituents were measured. Dynamic chamber tests measured VOC and SVOC emissions at 25° and 60°C. Particle characterization for size, moisture, and sand content was performed. Microbial presence was examined. The presentation will describe measurement results, variability, and factors that may influence exposures such as facility age, location, and indoor vs. outdoor fields.
