Recycled Rubber Infill Resources |
STC Catalog of Available Recycled Rubber ResearchBackground & Summary![]() In early 2015, in response to increased public interest in the potential health effects of synthetic turf sports fields with recycled rubber infill, the Synthetic Turf Council began compiling a list of available studies and making them more readily accessible to the public. Since 1990, STC has identified more than 90 technical studies and reports that have delved into various health and human safety questions relating to the use of recycled rubber as an aftermarket product, including its use as infill in synthetic turf sports fields. These studies have involved chemical engineers, toxicologists, epidemiologists, chemists, biologists and other medical professionals. They have estimated whether toxins are present at any level of concern, whether the human body can access them, and if exposure over time increases risk. The majority of the studies were conducted independently by academic institutions and government agencies. Government Organization Websites Related to the Use of Tire Crumb on Fields and Playgrounds »Research & Test DataComprehensive multipathway risk assessment of chemicals associated with recycled ("crumb") rubber in synthetic turf fieldsMichael K.Peterson, et al., November 2017 Abstract Background: Thousands of synthetic turf fields in the US are regularly used by millions of individuals (particularly children and adolescents). Although many safety assessments have concluded that there are low or negligible risks related to exposure to chemicals found in the recycled rubber used to make these fields, concerns remain about the safety of this product. Existing studies of recycled rubber's potential health risks have limitations such as small sample sizes and limited evaluation of relevant exposure pathways and scenarios.
Synthetic Turf and Crumb Rubber: Investigation of Reported Cancer among Soccer Players in Washington StateJanuary 2017 Playing Sports on Synthetic Turf Fields with Rubber Granulate is SafePublication date: December 20, 2016 New research by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) shows it is safe for people to play sports on synthetic turf fields with an infill of rubber granulate. Rubber granulate contains numerous substances which were found to be released from the granulate in very low quantities. This is because the substances are more or less ‘enclosed’ in the granulate, which means that the effect of these substances on human health is virtually negligible. Information Sheet: Recycled Rubber Cancer CasesGradient, October 2016 View More Independent Research »STC & Industry Position StatementsThe science is in — EPA, end the debate on turf safety
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Recent Magazine Articles Fear vs. FactsMegan Quinn, Scrap Magazine, March/April 2016 The Case for Crumb RubberPaul Steinbach, Athletic Business Magazine, April 2016 Cancer and Crumb Rubber?Robert Myer, Editor in Chief, SportsField Management Magazine, April 2016 |
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ISRI is a Washington, DC-based trade association representing more than 1,600 for-profit companies – ranging from small, family-owned businesses to large, multi-national corporations -- operating at more than 3,500 facilities in the United States and 34 countries worldwide.
The Recycled Rubber Council (RRC) has a mission to communicate, advocate, and educate about the safety and beneficial uses of recycled rubber. The organization was created to serve as a resource for those that want unbiased information about recycled rubber and to be a voice for an industry...an industry that provides products that are all around us and make our world a better place. Rubber has been an integral part of our lives for nearly 200 years and without it, the world as we know it would be a dramatically different place.
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