Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => The Environment => Topic started by: homebrewer on 16/01/2018 09:37:54
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The Daily Telegraph article telegraph.co.uk from 17/02/2016. Are their any new theories and findings, which could enlighten this fine forum, in one way or another ?
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Do you have the reference or link for the published piece that you saw? It would be helpful to read this, and the claims that it makes based on what evidence, before passing comment.
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I think the OP is referring to the use of shredded recycled tires (tyres) for making synthetic ground to play upon (synthetic turf for fields or synthetic mulch for playgrounds). There are worries that the material could be contaminated with all sorts of hazardous materials like heavy metals and halogenated organic molecules. The potential threat is being taken seriously, but I don't think the question has been answered yet (https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/federal-research-recycled-tire-crumb-used-playing-fields ) I wouldn't be terribly surprised if it turns out to have been a bad idea.
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It has been argued that the cost per life saved by EPA interventions is of the order of 1000 times the value of a life. This figure will almost certainly decrease now that Herr Trumpf has put one of his kindergarten playmates in charge.
That said, one would have thought that the major hazard from tyre crumb would result from the inhalation of microscopic particles from normal wear and tear on dry roads. If the crumb base is overlaid with artificial grass for soccer, hockey and the like, and the players wear astroturf boots, it seems unlikely that significant dust will be raised. Flat bonded surfaces for kids' playgrounds, tennis or basketball courts are equally unlikely to be significantly scuffed by bare feet or soft soles.
Having driven the "Sunday hospital run" for a junior rugby club for many years (average local A&E attendance: two rugger-buggers, five soccer lads, one hockey ball in eye, six girls fallen off horses - the most serious of all), and with a professional interest in chronic head and neck damage to soccer players, boxers and American footballers, I still think the health benefits of an all-weather pitch far outweigh its risks.
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That's scary. I've never thought about that. But it seems it's true. Anyway, pay attention
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Even though the turf industry have deemed these safe, we must understand and realise that tires consist of established carcinogens. Just due to this fact you would think tires should be classified as hazardous waste, however, this is in contrast to what EPA which classifies them as municipal waste. This is based on some research they have conducted into the toxicity of crumb rubber. This information is in contrast to scientific belief who strongly advise that crumb rubber should not be a first choice material for children to play on.
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Even though the turf industry have deemed these safe, we must understand and realise that tires consist of established carcinogens. Just due to this fact you would think tires should be classified as hazardous waste,
I would urge great care when considering the dangers of carcinogens. Bacon, whiskey, and sunshine are all "established carcinogens" (neither bacon nor whiskey is considered hazardous waste, although some whiskeys might have to be disposed of as flammable liquids...). The difficulty is that one must consider not only what causes cancer, but how much of it is required to cause harm. And it becomes further complicated by the fact that some "harmful" substances are harmless when below a threshold level, no matter how long the exposure is (like oxygen, which becomes quite toxic at high concentrations), while other substances (like lead) can accumulate in the body, so long-term exposures to even barely detectable levels can pose problems after a long enough period. Additional complications arise when one considers the interplay between multiple substances--some substances are not harmful by themselves, but can make people more susceptible to the actions of other harmful substances.
Take every toxicological study with a grain of salt, but do trust the aggregate findings of well-designed studies!