EPA News Release (HQ): Limited EPA Study Finds Low Level of Concern in Samples of Recycled Tires from Ballfield and Playground Surfaces‏

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released results of a limited field monitoring study of artificial-turf playing fields and playgrounds constructed with recycled tire material or tire crumb. The study was intended to gain experience conducting field monitoring of recreational surfaces that contain tire crumb. EPA will use the information to help determine possible next steps to address questions regarding the safety of tire crumb infill in recreational fields.

“The limited data EPA collected during this study, which do not point to a concern, represent an important addition to the information gathered by various government agencies,” said Peter Grevatt, director of EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection. “The study will help set the stage for a meeting this spring, where EPA will bring together officials from states and federal agencies to evaluate the existing body of science on this topic and determine what additional steps should be taken to ensure the safety of kids who play on these surfaces.”

Recycled tire material, or “tire crumb,” is used in many applications, including as a component in synthetic turf fields and playground installations. In response to concerns raised by the public, EPA conducted a limited “scoping study” of tire crumb, which consisted of collecting air and wipe samples at three locations near EPA laboratories at Raleigh, N.C., Athens, Ga., and Cincinnati, Ohio. Sampling also was conducted in the Washington, D.C. area.

The limited study, conducted in August through October 2008, found that the concentrations of materials that made up tire crumb were below levels considered harmful. However, given the limited nature of the study (limited number of constituents monitored, sample sites, and samples taken at each site) and the wide diversity of tire crumb material, it is not possible, without additional data, to extend the results beyond the four study sites to reach more comprehensive conclusions.

The study confirmed that most of the methods tested were accurate, reproducible and appropriate for measuring concentrations of tire crumb constituents and therefore can be used in future studies.

Study findings
Particulate matter, metals and volatile organic compound concentrations were measured in the air samples and compared with areas away from the turf fields (background levels). The levels found in air samples from the artificial turf were similar to background levels.
No tire-related fibers were observed in the air samples.
All air concentrations of particulate matter and lead were well below levels of concern.
More than 90 percent of the lead in the tire crumb material was tightly bound and unavailable for absorption by users of the turf fields.
Zinc, which is a known additive in tires, was found in tire crumb samples. However, air and surface wipe monitoring levels of zinc were found to be below levels of concern.

EPA is aware that studies by other agencies were undertaken or completed while this survey was under way. EPA is planning a 2010 meeting with federal and state agencies to review all new study data and determine next steps.

More information on artificial turf: http://www.epa.gov/nerl/features/tire_crumbs.html Note:

If a link above doesn't work, please copy and paste the URL into a browser.

View all news releases related to pesticides and toxic chemicals

Scientists Convene to Discuss New Method to Study How Toxic Chemicals Impact Human Health

Contact: Latisha Petteway, 202-564-3191 / 4355 / petteway.latisha@epa.gov


(Washington, D.C. – May 28, 2009) More than 200 scientists, regulators, and policy makers from around the world convened recently at EPA’s first ToxCast Data Analysis Summit to discuss results of the first phase of ToxCast. ToxCast is an innovative approach for profiling how chemicals in our environment impact important biological pathways that are critical for the function of the body’s systems such as the heart, lungs, brain or reproductive organs.

EPA launched the ToxCast research program in 2007 to develop a cost-effective approach for prioritizing the toxicity testing of large numbers of chemicals in a short period of time. This new approach to determining how toxic chemicals could impact human health uses cutting-edge biological tests to determine how chemicals affect cellular functions. ToxCast will help EPA determine under what conditions environmental exposures pose risks to human health.

During the first phase of ToxCast, EPA researchers conducted more than 200,000 experiments looking at the interactions between approximately 300 chemicals and 500 biological targets such as hormone receptors and liver enzymes. EPA researchers provided early access to the initial ToxCast data to research groups around the world, and this data was the foundation for discussions at the meeting. To evaluate the value of ToxCast, the new data is being compared to those generated by traditional toxicity testing methods

Based upon input from the meeting, EPA researchers are now preparing to launch a second phase of the ToxCast program that will expand on and verify the ability of this approach to predict potential human toxicity. EPA expects to complete this second phase of ToxCast over the next several years, and at that time be ready to deliver an innovative computational method for evaluating potential health impacts of environmental chemicals.

EPA and Pfizer, Inc. announced at the meeting that the company is making public clinical data on more than 100 drugs that showed adverse effects in clinical human testing. EPA will run the compounds through ToxCast, which will provide a critical and direct link to human toxicity outcomes.

Information on the ToxCast program: http://www.epa.gov/ncct/toxcast/index.html

EPA Releases 2007 TRI Data Using the Electronic Facility Data Release (e-FDR)

Contact: Suzanne Ackerman, (202) 564-4355 / ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov

To better inform communities about releases of toxic chemicals from industrial facilities in their area, EPA today announced the availability of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) facility-level data for 2007. This is the 5th annual Electronic Facility Data Release (e-FDR) and displays the TRI data exactly as received by EPA from the facilities - one form for each chemical at a facility. Many stakeholders have requested that EPA share TRI data sooner and in the format received, without waiting for further analysis. The "raw" data released today are not grouped in any way or are as easily searchable as the traditional Public Data Release (PDR), which also includes more quality checks, national trends and analysis. EPA will still publish the complete 2007 PDR in early 2009.

TRI provides American communities with vital information on chemical releases including disposal of chemicals. In addition, TRI tracks releases of chemicals and industrial sectors specified by the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986. The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 also mandates that facilities report data on other waste management activities such as treatment, recycling, and energy recovery. The e-FDR is now available at: http://www.epa.gov/tri-efdr