EPA: No current studies show elevated health risk from tire crumb

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently responded to a request from representatives of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Environment and the Economy Subcommittee for more information on the potential health effects of tire crumb artificial turf.

“Currently, we have information from a number of limited studies and they do not show an elevated health risk from playing on fields with synthetic turf containing tire crumb,” said the letter. “However, these studies have various limitations and do not comprehensively address the concerns about children's health risks from exposures to tire crumb.”

U.S. Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), respectively the Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman and Ranking Member, and U.S. Reps. John Shimkus (R-IL) and Paul Tonko (D-NY), the Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman and Ranking Member, sent the information request to the EPA following recent news reports that suggest a link between artificial turf made from rubber crumbs and adverse health effects.

“To address these concerns, the EPA has been working to better understand potential exposures and fill in some of the data gaps,” said the letter. “We are also engaged with the State of California as it conducts a comprehensive evaluation of tire crumb. We anticipate that the work of the federal government, combined with the work of the State of California and other state partners, will enable states, communities and parents to make better informed decisions for their communities and families.