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They provide a softer fall. They give second life to trash. But could those shredded tires on playgrounds make kids sick?
One national group thinks it’s a question worth asking.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recommended shredded tires as playground filler since 1991. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management touts shredded tires in playgrounds as a “green step” schools can take to be more environmentally friendly.
But EPA documents obtained last week by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility indicate the EPA lacks the information to assess children’s toxicological risks from exposure to shredded tires.
The EPA confirmed to The Associated Press that it is conducting air and surface testing at fields and playgrounds that use recycled tires. The testing was prompted by research suggesting potential hazards from repeated exposure to bits of shredded tire that can contain carcinogens and other chemicals.
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility has asked the EPA to revoke its endorsement of shredded tires – also called “tire crumb” – until research concludes the tires are safe for children.
“Kids roll around in this stuff, put it into their mouths and rub it into their skin and hair,” PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch said in a statement.
The concern about shredded tires is not an issue for Fort Wayne Community Schools. The district uses 600 cubic yards – 16 semis’ worth – of engineered wood-fiber mulch, the most cost-effective filler, district spokeswoman Krista Stockman said.
The same wood filler is used by the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department, spokeswoman Natalie Eggeman said.
But ground-up tires are used in plenty of playgrounds in the area by other schools and parks. Those clients tend to be satisfied by the extensive testing that manufacturers have done on the products, said Carey Holmes, of Snider & Associates Inc., an Ohio-based company that sells recreation and sports products, including shredded tires for playgrounds.
Holmes, the company’s northern Indiana representative, said the only question he gets about the use of rubber chips is whether the filler gets too hot in the sun – not concerns over toxicity.
Kathy Little’s four children, ages 7 to 13, attend Southwest Allen County Schools. Her children spend the most time on Deer Ridge Elementary School’s playground, which has wood-chip filler.
But they’ve also played on playgrounds with recycled tires. Little said she has wondered about the safety of shredded tires on playgrounds on hot days when the odor has made her wonder whether the tires are letting off fumes.
She’s more concerned, though, about the safety of the playground equipment itself or how close the playground is to busy roads.
“All of that is more important to me than the ground covering,” she said.
