Exposure Characterization for Athletes Playing on Synthetic Turf Fields with Tire Crumb Rubber Infill

The goal of the research 

Impact/Purpose

In the United States, synthetic turf fields are used at municipal and county parks; schools, colleges, and universities; professional sports stadiums and practice fields; and military installations and are designed to simulate the experience of practicing and playing on grass fields. First introduced in the 1960s, synthetic turf fields have evolved over time from first-generation systems made of tightly curled nylon fibers to third-generation systems typically made of polyethylene yarn fibers. These third-generation systems typically use small pieces of recycled tires, referred to as "recycled tire crumb rubber" (or simply "tire crumb rubber"), to fill the space between the polyethylene yarn fibers. The recycled tire crumb rubber (sometimes mixed with sand or other raw materials) is added for ballast, support for the synthetic grass blades, and as cushioning for field users. Third-generation synthetic turf field systems are widely used today. There are between 18,000 and 19,000 synthetic turf fields in the United States, with 1,200 – 1,500 new installations each year, and about half of those are replacements.[2] It is estimated that millions of people use and/or work at these fields. Some parents, athletes, schools and communities have raised concerns about the use of recycled tire crumb rubber on synthetic turf fields. To help address these concerns, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), launched a multi-agency research effort in February 2016. This multi-agency research effort, known as the Federal Research Action Plan on Recycled Tire Crumb Used on Playing Fields and Playgrounds (FRAP), is focused on assessing potential human exposure, which includes conducting research activities to characterize the chemicals associated with recycled tire crumb rubber and to identify the ways in which people may be exposed to those chemicals based on their activities on synthetic turf fields. Also, the FRAP includes characterizing emissions and bioaccessibility to differentiate what is present in the recycled tire crumb rubber from what people may actually be exposed to from recycled tire crumb rubber. It is important to note that the study activities completed as part of this multi-agency research effort were not designed, and are not sufficient by themselves, to directly answer questions about potential health risks. Other studies may aid in this regard. Overall, we anticipate that the results from this multi-agency research effort will be useful to the public and interested stakeholders for understanding the potential for human exposure to chemicals associated with recycled tire crumb rubber infill material used on synthetic turf fields.

Citation

Thomas, K., E. Irvin, J. Zambrana, A. Guiseppi-Elie, AND A. Ragin-Wilson. Exposure Characterization for Athletes Playing on Synthetic Turf Fields with Tire Crumb Rubber Infill. ISES 2024 Meeting, Montreal, CANADA, October 20 - 24, 2024.