Shredded Tire Mulch Playground Surface Raises Public Health Concerns

The following letter was send to Amherst’s Elementary School Building Committee on December 7, 2023.

I learned recently that concerns had been raised regarding possible health hazards associated with the use of poured in place (PIP) playground surfaces under consideration for the Amherst Elementary School playground.   

I subsequently reached out to authors of online articles about these products inquiring whether they would be able to share their expertise with your committee, and am pleased to inform you that two of these authors have confirmed that they are available to answer any questions you may have on this topic. 

1. Lindsey Pollard, Research Associate at University of Massachusetts Lowell, informed me that the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production has recently posted an updated version of their playground surfacing report. These updates include a case study on switching from shredded tire mulch to engineered wood fiber, information on recent studies on additional chemicals of concern, updated cost estimates, and other topics. For an up-to-date list of playground surfacing and artificial turf resources, committee members can visit theLowell Center for Sustainable Production (LCSP) site. Members are also welcome to contact her with questions via email (lindsey_pollard@uml.edu) or by phone (978-934-2980). 
   
2. Dr. Diana Zuckerman, President of the National Center for Health Research and author of an informative article entitled  “Are PIP rubber playgrounds safe for Kingston?” published in the Kingston (NY) Wire on October 23 of this year, would also be happy to respond to any questions that the committee may have. She can be reached at dz@center4research.org  

The precautionary principle urges that use of a new product whose ultimate effects are unknown should be avoided until its safety is conclusively demonstrated. I believe that this an appropriate standard for evaluating the possible use of PIP playground surfaces at Amherst Elementary School.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your service to the Town of Amherst. 

John Root

John Root is a resident of Amherst