Addressing Community Concerns and Assessing Exposures and Alternatives to Artificial Turf Fields and Playgrounds

项目摘要 人工草坪和操场已经成为常见的运动场。据估计， 有1300多个田地，每年新建1500个人工田地。大部分 这些场地和操场利用回收轮胎碎屑产生的填充物。社区有 据报道，在田野、操场和周围地区一直有化学气味。尽管 人工草坪和操场的广泛使用，安全和安全方面的不确定性仍然存在 接触有毒化学物质的可能性、热暴露、导致伤害的影响以及 对社区的环境影响。许多研究已经确定了有毒物质的存在 已知的化学物质，在轮胎碎屑中具有神经毒性和致癌作用。家长和社区 是因为年幼的儿童和运动员可能接触到病毒，并有可能 体验未来在这些场地上打球对健康的影响。实验室已经确定 轮胎碎屑中含有有毒化学物质，但暴露评估信息产生的结果 儿童和成人的现实游戏条件非常有限。暴露评估研究 正在州和联邦一级进行。尽管如此，越来越多的社区正在 选择使用由塑料、初生橡胶、硅砂、软木和废鞋制成的替代填充材料 材料。然而，与轮胎碎屑填充一样，安全信息也缺乏。因此， 社区一般都在努力就安全的比赛场地做出明智的决定。这个 拟议的社区参与项目将采用公民科学的方法来收集样本 从替代填充字段中，识别替代填充材料中的化学物质，并对其进行表征 在现实生活条件下接触这些领域。这个项目处于有利地位，可以实现我们的 目标是解决社区的关切，并告知社区的政策制定者 将环境健康研究纳入决策过程中 运动场的采购、安装、使用和处置。这个项目包含了 社区成员参与项目的研究活动。主动型 社区参与将使社区成员获得有关 在他们的田野中的化学物质和在比赛条件下的热量。最重要的是，这将使他们能够 就更好的做法和有效的政策协助其他社区保护有关人员 社区。

Project Summary Artificial turf fields and playgrounds have become common playing surfaces. It is estimated that there are over 13,00 fields, and up to 1,500 new artificial fields are installed each year. Most of these fields and playgrounds utilize infill generated from recycled tire crumb. Communities have consistently reported chemical smells in fields, playgrounds, and surrounding areas. Despite the widespread usage of artificial turf fields and playgrounds, uncertainty remains about safety and the potential for exposure to toxic chemicals, heat exposure, impacts resulting in injury, and environmental impacts in the community. Many studies have identified the presence of toxic chemicals, known to be neurotoxic and carcinogenic in tire crumb infill. Parents and communities are concerned because young children and athletes could be exposed and could potentially experience health effects in the future from playing on these surfaces. Laboratories have identified toxic chemicals in tire crumb, but results of exposure assessment information generated under realistic playing conditions in children and adults are very limited. Exposure assessment studies are underway at a state and federal level. Despite that, an increasing number of communities are opting to use alternative infills made from plastics, virgin rubber, silica sand, cork, and waste shoe materials. However, as with tire crumb infill, safety information is also lacking. As such, communities in general struggle to make informed decisions about safe playing surfaces. The proposed community-engaged project will employ a citizen science approach to collect samples from alternative infill fields, identify chemicals in alternative infills materials, and characterize exposure in such fields under real-life conditions. This project is well-positioned to achieve our goal to address concerns from the community and inform policymakers in their communities to incorporate environmental health research into consideration during the decision making for the procurement, installation, use, and disposal of playing surfaces. This project embraces the involvement of community member participation in the project’s research activities. Active community involvement will allow community members to gain first-hand knowledge of the chemicals in their fields and heat during playing conditions. Most importantly, it will enable them to assist other communities regarding better practices and effective policies to protect concerned communities.