The use of recycled tire material or
“tire crumb” is commonplace for many athletic fields as well as
children’s playgrounds. Playground surfaces derived from recycled
tires are a popular option due to their low maintenance, variety of
colors and designs, and ability to reduce the impacts from falls.
Concerns have been expressed by a wide variety of stakeholders
about the safety of playground surfaces derived from recycled
tires. Although there have been investigations1 into the safety of
using these materials that have not found adverse effects to date,
there is no comprehensive study to understand the full effects of
the use of these materials. In February, 2016, as part of their
mission to protect the American public from hazardous consumer
materials, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC),
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the interagency Federal
Research Action Plan on Recycled Tire Crumb Used on Playing Fields
and Playgrounds (“Plan”). The Plan’s objective is to identify the
potential hazardous chemical exposure to children derived from
recycled tire material used regularly on playgrounds throughout the
United States. While parties including the EPA and CDC are working
to shed light on the chemical hazards from recycled tire materials
on athletic playing fields, CPSC is tasked with research to
establish the level of risk and the extent to which children may be
exposed to potential hazard(s) related to recycled rubber on
playgrounds CPSC planned a two-part investigation. First, the CPSC
conducted focus groups2 to gather data from a small sample of
parents, childcare providers, and personnel responsible for the
inspection and maintenance of playgrounds on their experiences and
observations of how children interact with various types of
playground surfaces, including those derived from recycled tires.
This part is complete and not the focus of this proposal. The
second part of CPSC’s two-part investigation is the current
proposal. The proposed study consists of a survey of a
geographically and demographically diverse sample of parents to
better understand potential exposures based on children’s play
behaviors on playgrounds. The proposed survey was developed using
findings from the focus groups in the first part of CPSC’s
investigation. The survey data will help the CPSC to estimate
exposure and risk, and make recommendations regarding playground
surfaces derived from recycled tires.
US Code:
15
USC 2054(a) Name of Law: Consumer Product Safety Act
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