Milken Institute School of Public Health Poster Presentations (Marvin Center & Video)
Recycled Tire Crumb Rubber Playgrounds or Athletic Fields and Air Pollution Hazards to Children: A Systematic Review
Poster Number
42
Document Type
Poster
Status
Graduate Student - Masters
Abstract Category
Environmental and Occupational Health
Keywords
tire crumb rubber,
Publication Date
Spring 2018
Abstract
Abstract Background: All around the world tire disposal is becoming a greater environmental problem. The installment of recycled tire crumb rubber fields and playgrounds are one way communities have decided to relieve the issue of end-of-life tire disposal. Many laboratory toxicology studies have identified hazardous chemicals within these shredded tires to include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), volatile organic compounds (VOC), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), and as well as heavy metals such as lead and fine particulate matter. Objective: This paper aims to systematically review the current literature on the association between exposure to tire crumb rubber playgrounds or fields and the air pollution health risk to children worldwide. Methods: Databases were searched using inclusion and exclusion criteria. A PRISMA flow diagram was used to display search steps during a systematic literature review database search. The search was limited to the English language and studies published in last twenty years or after 1996. Search terms were created for each database and repeated among all databases then individualized due to poor search results. The Navigation Guide systematic approach was used to rate risk of bias, overall quality, and overall strength of the studies included. Results: 10 studies and reports met the inclusion criteria. The studies on average were rated “probably low” to “probably high risk” of bias. Selection bias was rated at “probably high risk” in 60% of the studies due to the voluntary nature of the selection process. The overall quality across all studies as were rated “low” quality with “limited” evidence for association of tire crumb rubber exposure and air pollution health hazards to children. Conclusion: There was limited evidence supporting the association between exposure to outdoor tire crumb rubber playgrounds or athletic fields and the air pollution health hazards to children. Limitations included poor recruitment of playgrounds and fields for sampling, large number of confounders either not accounted for or unable to control for, and unknown information of many of the volatile and organic compounds found within crumb rubber tires. The question “Does exposure to tire crumb rubber present an air pollution hazard to children worldwide?” requires additional studies to evaluate larger sample of crumb rubber playgrounds and fields along with use of biomarkers and personal air monitors.
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Open Access
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Recycled Tire Crumb Rubber Playgrounds or Athletic Fields and Air Pollution Hazards to Children: A Systematic Review
Abstract Background: All around the world tire disposal is becoming a greater environmental problem. The installment of recycled tire crumb rubber fields and playgrounds are one way communities have decided to relieve the issue of end-of-life tire disposal. Many laboratory toxicology studies have identified hazardous chemicals within these shredded tires to include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), volatile organic compounds (VOC), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), and as well as heavy metals such as lead and fine particulate matter. Objective: This paper aims to systematically review the current literature on the association between exposure to tire crumb rubber playgrounds or fields and the air pollution health risk to children worldwide. Methods: Databases were searched using inclusion and exclusion criteria. A PRISMA flow diagram was used to display search steps during a systematic literature review database search. The search was limited to the English language and studies published in last twenty years or after 1996. Search terms were created for each database and repeated among all databases then individualized due to poor search results. The Navigation Guide systematic approach was used to rate risk of bias, overall quality, and overall strength of the studies included. Results: 10 studies and reports met the inclusion criteria. The studies on average were rated “probably low” to “probably high risk” of bias. Selection bias was rated at “probably high risk” in 60% of the studies due to the voluntary nature of the selection process. The overall quality across all studies as were rated “low” quality with “limited” evidence for association of tire crumb rubber exposure and air pollution health hazards to children. Conclusion: There was limited evidence supporting the association between exposure to outdoor tire crumb rubber playgrounds or athletic fields and the air pollution health hazards to children. Limitations included poor recruitment of playgrounds and fields for sampling, large number of confounders either not accounted for or unable to control for, and unknown information of many of the volatile and organic compounds found within crumb rubber tires. The question “Does exposure to tire crumb rubber present an air pollution hazard to children worldwide?” requires additional studies to evaluate larger sample of crumb rubber playgrounds and fields along with use of biomarkers and personal air monitors.