A TikTok mom posted a clip explaining the issues with rubber surfaces on playgrounds.
Jpall20 (@jpall20) highlighted a few "crazy things I've seen on TikTok today" in her video, including the dangers of rubber mulch. She explained that these rubber surfaces used for playgrounds and sports complexes give off chemical dust called 6PPD, which keeps tires from degrading.
@jpall20 The creator that covers more on the #cancerous #rubbermulch & #astroturf is @Tabor Place #cancersucks #cancertok #hairextensions #michaeljackson #pigeons #pigeonsoftiktok #pigeonnest #greenscreen ♬ Spooky piano horror scary - Sound Production Gin
She firmly states, "I would never let my kids play on a rubber mulch playground." She's not the first parent to be troubled by those surfaces.
An NBC News investigation spoke with parents who said their children were "putting tire in their mouths and ending up covered in black after playing on playgrounds filled with tire crumb."
The mulch and crumb are made from recycled tires. Recycling is fantastic, but tires contain countless dangerous chemicals. Aside from the 6PPD, these surfaces can also contain phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, and other chemical compounds with adverse health effects.
A study on PubMed stated: "Cancer risk is approximately 10 times higher in poured rubber surfaced playgrounds than in uncovered soil playgrounds."
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Dr. Philip Landrigan, New York Mt. Sinai Hospital's dean of global health and an expert on how chemicals affect children, told NBC News: "Little children should not be put in a situation where they're forced to be in intimate contact with carcinogenic chemicals."
People thought rubber surfaces were safer for children and athletes, but they harm human health directly. Not only can these rubber surfaces increase cancer rates among children, but they also accelerate climate change and increase pollution.
The Washington State Department of Ecology highlights how 6PPD contaminates waterways. This endangers wildlife, compromises fresh water sources, and leaches into soil.
Traditional surfaces would be healthier, such as natural grass or wood chips. Whether it's a school playground or your front yard, a native lawn is the best option.
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Native plants require little to no maintenance and make pollinators happy. Choosing natural lawns makes for healthier playgrounds and a cleaner, cooler future for everyone.
Commenters were disturbed and shocked by the information.
Someone wrote: "Here I was thinking the rubber mulch playgrounds were boujier."
Another person said: "It's literally never ending! Do they ever test these things before pouring it all over the place!?"
Some folks were irate, with one comment saying: "Pisses me off that literally everything we touch or eat has some amount of cancer."
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