EHHI's Op-Ed in response to Kentucky's policy of collecting a dollar from every new tire sold—and then giving out grants to be used for ground-up tire uses.

Environment and Human Health Inc. (EHHI) remains concerned about the health effects of ground-up rubber tires that are used both for children's playgrounds and as the in-fill on synthetic turf fields. Both places are where children play.

EHHI is a nine-member, nonprofit organization composed of physicians, public health professionals and policy experts dedicated to protecting human health from environmental harms through research, education and improving public policy. EHHI is supported by foundations and receives no funding from either businesses or corporations.

Environment and Human Health, Inc., researched the health issues presented by ground-up rubber tires that are a major component of synthetic turf fields, as well as a product being used in playgrounds by many schools and towns across the country. Used rubber tires In some states are considered a "hazardous" waste and in other states they are considered a "special" waste.

Although recycling is a good thing, certain materials should never be recycled. We should not recycle asbestos—and we should not recycle lead or used rubber tires in places where children play because of their harmful health implications.

The fact that the State of Kentucky is an active partner in the recycling of rubber tires in places where children play, is a very serious issue. Kentucky should reconsider this policy for the protection of its children.

When the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station tested samples of ground-up rubber tires they found the following five compounds.

COMPOUNDS FOUND

Benzothiazole: Skin and eye irritation, harmful if swallowed. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.

Butylated hydroxyanisole: Recognized carcinogen, suspected endocrine toxicant, gastrointestinal toxicant, immunotoxicant (adverse effects on the immune system), neurotoxicant (adverse effects on the nervous system), skin and sense-organ toxicant. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.

n-hexadecane: Severe irritant based on human and animal studies. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.

4-(t-octyl) phenol: Corrosive and destructive to mucous membranes. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.

Zinc: There is a very large amount of zinc that is added in the manufacturing of tires and therefore there is a great deal of zinc in ground-up rubber tire in-fill.

Besides those chemicals, rubber tires often contain:

Benzene: Carcinogen, Developmental Toxicant, Reproductive Toxicant

Phthalates: Suspected Developmental Toxicant, Endocrine Toxicant, Reproductive Toxicant

PAHs: Suspected Cardiovascular or Blood Toxicant, Gastrointestinal or Liver Toxicant, Reproductive Toxicant ,Respiratory Toxicant,

Maganese: Gastrointestinal or liver toxicants

Carbon Black: Carcinogen

Latex: Causes allergic reactions in some people

Using shredded used tires in places where children play is simply not acceptable—and the fact that the State of Kentucky is a partner in this practice makes the issue even worse.

Nancy Alderman, President
Environment and Human Health, Inc.
http://www.ehhi.org