Health Risk Assessment for Artificial Turf Playgrounds in School Athletic Facilities: Multi-route Exposure Estimation for Use Patterns

Abstract

Hazardous chemicals can be released from artificial turf used in some school playgrounds. To distinguish between Health risk assessment (HRA) exposure scenarios for this study, the ratio of elementary, middle and high schools was considered before final selection. Considering exposure pathways (inhalational, oral and dermal), media and materials were examined, targeting hazardous chemicals released from artificial turf playground-related products. Upon evaluation, the quantity of infill chips was shown to exceed the domestic product content standard (90 mg/kg) at eight (16%) out of 50 schools. PAHs were shown to exceed standards (10 mg/kg) at two (4%) out of the 50 schools. The excess cancer risk (ECR) of carcinogens was shown to be 1×10 -6 in most users for the worst exposure scenario. In children with pica, who represented the most extreme exposure group, the ECR was expected to be as high as 1×10 -4 , showing the low risk level of carcinogens. The hazard index (HI) for individual chemicals was shown to be low, at around 0.1 or less, except for children with pica, according to the mean exposure scenario of artificial turf playground exposure. However, the HI was shown to exceed 1.0 in children with pica. Therefore, no direct health risk was found in using artificial turf playgrounds and urethane flooring tracks for the mean exposure scenario, except in children with pica.

Synthetic turf pitches with rubber granulate infill: are there health risks for people playing sports on such pitches?

“…The prioritised PAHs appeared to be the substances of the highest concern, but even for this group of substances the measured migration from the Dutch field samples resulted in estimated additional cancer risks that were just above the negligible risk level of one in a million. The results from the present investigation are in concordance with the findings in previous national and international investigations into the health risks of rubber granulate [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34], and were recently confirmed in the investigation by ECHA [12].…”

How Does Low Socioeconomic Status Increase Blood Lead Levels in Korean Children?

“…Lead was detected in urethane tracks, low-quality waste rubber, and waste automobile tires used in playgrounds. Children playing outdoors are exposed to lead in urethane flooring materials through direct ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact with lead [ 37 ]. The presence of lead in soil has been documented by many empirical studies that show strong associations between neighborhood soil lead level and children’s BLL [ 9 , 38 ].…”

Science in Society: Toward Receptor-Oriented Integrative Risk Governance in Artificial Turf Risk Case

“…Debates occur with a lack of scientific certainties in relation to health risks of AT. Some toxicologists and engineering researchers concluded that AT has no serious health risks [3][4][5]. By contrary Environment and Human Health, INC (EHHI) argued that it is necessary to conduct more evaluation studies particularly whether synthetic turf can cause any harmful effects to children [6].…”