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Is your playground toxic?
Leaked EPA memo indicates that many playgrounds may not be as safe as you think.
Tue, Sep 29 2009 at 8:00 AM
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Crumb rubber. It's been touted as the latest and greatest mulch for playgrounds because it's spongy texture helps to reduce injuries from playground accidents. And because it's made from recycled tires, it's also considered super green. It's even the mulch of choice used by President and Mrs. Obama to protect Sasha and Mali on their new White House playground. But this wonder mulch may not be as wonderful as they thought.
A recently leaked memo from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates that agency scientists have begun to question whether there's stuff in the crumb rubber that could be toxic to kids. "What's known is very very little. They list, I think it's 30 toxic chemicals in one of the memos. And so far work has only been done on two of them," said Jeff Ruch, head of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, in an interview with The Environment Report. An EPA spokesman says the agency is doing a preliminary study of four playgrounds to test for toxins such as lead and volatile organic compounds. The results aren't in yet.
The Rubber Manufacturers Association says there are more than 100 studies showing scrap tires are safe in playgrounds and that environmental groups are over hyping the concerns. But the whole mess bears a striking resemblance to the arsenic-treated wood that was used in the past to build playground equipment. Sure, arsenic prevented decay and made the playground structures last for years. But didn't anyone stop to think ..."hey, this is ARSENIC we are putting on playground equipment?" For two decades, kids across the country played on contaminated wood before someone finally saw the folly in this choice. Will it take another two decades before we fully understand the health effects that could occur when kids play on recycled tires?
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We are providing high quality of recycled rubber product such as recycled tires, tire crumb rubber to our client and meet their quality standard our products are also being environmental friendly.
My daycare has this mulch and my 15 month old plays in it, putting it in his mouth even. I worry about what he's ingesting. Is there a way to test this stuff and find out for myself? My husband and I are both concerned....
Rubber Mulch is great! It's soft and environmentally friendly! President Obama had it installed in his children s playground! http://bit.ly/rFAGv I am sure it he had his people do his research! Besides if you look through this page http://wapedia.mobi/en/Rubberecycle you will see articles proving to you that it was tested and its safe! Just be happy your children are safe and not try to find a way to prove there not!
Agree we have under our backyard swing set Mulch from Rubberecycle Mulch. Also found that the White House from the same company at http://www.ctngreen.com/news/2009/04/first-ever-white-house-playground-u... and Flickr Pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubberecycle/3409604168/
It is nice to know that company is trusted by the US government and US secret service, that are in charge of protecting the first family.
Mark Green
Wow, that's interesting. Some cities use recycled tires to build sidewalks, too. I love the way the surface feels, and I've heard they're also good for preserving tree roots (in comparison to cement). But it does make sense that some of the ingredients may not be safe...