Product Resources / Research

Resources

• GroundSmart™ Landscape Rubber Mulch – Installation Instructions
• GroundSmart™ Landscape Rubber Mulch – Architectural Bid Specifications
• GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – Accelerated Weathering Test
• GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – Feedstock MSDS Sheet
• GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – Product Warranty
• GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – Chemicals Commonly Found in Natural Soil vs Recycled Rubber
• Landscape Groundcover Recommended Materials Usage Chart
• U.S. Green Building Council LEED Credits

Research

• Review of the Human Health & Ecological Safety of Exposure to Recycled Tire Rubber found at Playgrounds and Synthetic Turf Fields

  August 2013, Prepared for Rubber Manufacturers Association by ChemRisk, Inc.

• Crumb Infill and Turf Characterization for Trace Elements and Organic Materials

  2011, Dr. Paul J. Lioy and Dr. Clifford Weisel, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

• 2009 Study of Crumb Rubber Derived from Recycled Tires Final Report

  May 2010, Xiaolin Li, William Berger, Craig Musante, MaryJane Incorvia Mattina, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Analytical Chemistry

• The Effects of PU Coated Rubber Mulch ion the Leaching of Contaminants Compared to Uncoated and Acrylic Latex Coated Rubber Mulch

  December 2009, Bryan R. Morris, Richard J. Golden and John W. Pierson, Stockmeier Urethanes USA, Inc.

• Zinc in Drainage Water Under Artificial Turf Fields with SBR

  March 2009, Hofstra, U.

• Five Year Study of the Water Quality Effects of Tire Shreds Placed Above the Water Table

  March 2001, Humphrey, D.N. and E.K. Lynn, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maine

• Resources

  • GroundSmart™ Training Surface Rubber Mulch – Installation Instructions
  • GroundSmart™ Training Surface Rubber Mulch – Architectural Bid Specifications
  • GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – IPEMA Certification for 4”, 5” and 6” compacted depths per ASTM F1292-13
  • GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – IPEMA Certification for F3012
  • GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – ASTM F1951-99 Wheelchair Accessibility Test at 4” compacted depth
  • GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – ASTM F1951-99 Wheelchair Accessibility Test at 5” compacted depth
  • GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – ASTM F1951-99 Wheelchair Accessibility Test at 6” compacted depth
  • GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – Accelerated Weathering Test
  • GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – Feedstock MSDS Sheet
  • GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – Product Warranty
  • GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – Chemicals Commonly Found in Natural Soil vs Recycled Rubber
  • Public Playground Safety Handbook
    U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Bethesda, MD. Publication #325, Nov 2010.
    www.cpsc.gov
  • Outdoor Home Playground Safety Handbook
    U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Bethesda, MD. Publication #324, 2005.
    www.cpsc.gov

  Research

  • Health and Safety Considerations Associated with the Use of Recycled Waste Tires for Playground Surfacing

    2013 Kansas Department of Health & Environment, Bureau of Waste Management.

  • Review of the Human Health & Ecological Safety of Exposure to Recycled Tire Rubber found at Playgrounds and Synthetic Turf Fields

    August 2013, Prepared for Rubber Manufacturers Association by ChemRisk, Inc.

  • Crumb Infill and Turf Characterization for Trace Elements and Organic Materials

    2011, Dr. Paul J. Lioy and Dr. Clifford Weisel, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

  • Information Regarding Use of Recycled Rubber on Playgrounds

    International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association, Released Jan 2010

  • A Scoping-Level Field Monitoring Study of Synthetic Turf Fields and Playgrounds

    2009, National Exposure Research Laboratory Office of Research and Development U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  • The Effects of PU Coated Rubber Mulch ion the Leaching of Contaminants Compared to Unoated and Acrylic Latex Coated Rubber Mulch

    December 2009, Bryan R. Morris, Richard J. Golden and John W. Pierson, Stockmeier Urethanes USA, Inc.

  • Evaluation of Playing Surface Characteristics of Various In-Filled Systems

    April 2008, McNitt, A.S. The Pennsylvania State University

  • Evaluation of Health Effects of Recycled Waste Tires in Playground and Track Products

    2007, California Integrated Waste Management Board, Integrated Waste Management Board: Sacramento, CA

  • Preliminary Assessment of the Toxicity from Exposure to Crumb Rubber: its use in Playgrounds and Artificial Turf Playing Fields

    June 2007, Thomas Ledoux, Ph.D., New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

  • Toxicological Evaluation for the Hazard Assessment of Tire Crumb for Use in Public Playgrounds

    July 2003, Birkholz, D.A., K.L. Belton, and T.L. Guidotti, J. Air & Waste Management Association

  • Child-Specific Exposure Factors Handbook

    September 2002, U.S. EPA, National Center for Environmental Assessment–Washington Office

    Report Summary: Supplemental chronic risk estimates … indicate that regular exposure (e.g., regular play on ground rubber filled athletic fields) to ground rubber for the length of one’s childhood does not increase risk of cancer above levels considered by the State of California to be de minimus.

  • Five Year Study of the Water Quality Effects of Tire Shreds Placed Above the Water Table

    March 2001, Humphrey, D.N. and E.K. Lynn, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maine

  • Environmental Impacts of Recycled Rubber in Light-Fill Applications

    1998, Liu, Helen S., et. al., Department of Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Research

• GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – Chemicals Commonly Found in Natural Soil vs Recycled Rubber
• Review of the Human Health & Ecological Safety of Exposure to Recycled Tire Rubber found at Playgrounds and Synthetic Turf Fields

  August 2013, Prepared for Rubber Manufacturers Association by ChemRisk, Inc.

• Crumb Infill and Turf Characterization for Trace Elements and Organic Materials

  2011, Dr. Paul J. Lioy and Dr. Clifford Weisel, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

• 2009 Study of Crumb Rubber Derived from Recycled Tires Final Report

  May 2010, Xiaolin Li, William Berger, Craig Musante, MaryJane Incorvia Mattina, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Analytical Chemistry

• Zinc in Drainage Water Under Artificial Turf Fields with SBR

  March 2009, Hofstra, U.

• Evaluation of Playing Surface Characteristics of Various In-Filled Systems

  April 2008, McNitt, A.S. The Pennsylvania State University

• Child-Specific Exposure Factors Handbook

  September 2002, U.S. EPA, National Center for Environmental Assessment–Washington Office

  Report Summary: Supplemental chronic risk estimates … indicate that regular exposure (e.g., regular play on ground rubber filled athletic fields) to ground rubber for the length of one’s childhood does not increase risk of cancer above levels considered by the State of California to be de minimus.

• Five Year Study of the Water Quality Effects of Tire Shreds Placed Above the Water Table

  March 2001, Humphrey, D.N. and E.K. Lynn, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maine

Resources

• GroundSmart™ Natural Turf Topdressing – Installation Instructions
• GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – Chemicals Commonly Found in Natural Soil vs Recycled Rubber

Research

• Review of the Human Health & Ecological Safety of Exposure to Recycled Tire Rubber found at Playgrounds and Synthetic Turf Fields

  August 2013, Prepared for Rubber Manufacturers Association by ChemRisk, Inc.

• Crumb Infill and Turf Characterization for Trace Elements and Organic Materials

  2011, Dr. Paul J. Lioy and Dr. Clifford Weisel, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

• 2009 Study of Crumb Rubber Derived from Recycled Tires Final Report

  May 2010, Xiaolin Li, William Berger, Craig Musante, MaryJane Incorvia Mattina, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Analytical Chemistry

• Zinc in Drainage Water Under Artificial Turf Fields with SBR

  March 2009, Hofstra, U.

• Evaluation of Playing Surface Characteristics of Various In-Filled Systems

  April 2008, McNitt, A.S. The Pennsylvania State University

• Five Year Study of the Water Quality Effects of Tire Shreds Placed Above the Water Table

  March 2001, Humphrey, D.N. and E.K. Lynn, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maine

Resources

• GroundSmart™ Synthetic Turf Infill – UL’s GREENGUARD CERTIFICATION
• GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch – Chemicals Commonly Found in Natural Soil vs Recycled Rubber

Research

• Artificial Turf Fields — the Science Is Key

  November 21, 2017 by Michael Peterson

• Connecticut Reaffirms Safety of Artificial Turf

  State of Connecticut Department of Public Health, EHS Circular Letter #2015-02

• Act Global Crumb Rubber Safety Study

  February 11, 2015, R. William Tilford, Ph.D.

• Toxicological Analysis of performance infill for synthetic turf fields according to EN 71-3 standard

  November 2014, Lower Canada College

  Report Summary: Lower Canada College, a leading K-12 private school in Montreal, announced that the crumb rubber infill used in its new synthetic turf athletic field is safe for continued use by children of all ages. This comes as a result of testing that the school conducted using an independent, highly-sophisticated laboratory in Paris, France to test its crumb rubber.

• Tabor Academy – Synthetic Turf Athletic Field Evaluation

  March 2014, CDM Smith

• STC Guidelines for Crumb Rubber Infill Used in Synthetic Turf Fields

  October 2014, Synthetic Turf Council

• STC Response to NBC National News Story on Health Effects of Crumb Rubber in Synthetic Turf

  October 2014, Terrie Ward, Synthetic Turf Council Marketing & Education Director

• Artificial turf football fields: environmental and mutagenicity assessment

  2013, Schilirò, T1,et al., Arch Environ Contam Toxicol
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23007896

• Bioaccessibility and Risk of Exposure to Metals and SVOCs in Artificial Turf Field Fill Materials and Fibers

  2013, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23758133

• Review of the Human Health & Ecological Safety of Exposure to Recycled Tire Rubber found at Playgrounds and Synthetic Turf Fields

  August 2013, Prepared for Rubber Manufacturers Association by ChemRisk, Inc.

• Artificial turf football fields: environmental and mutagenicity assessment

  2012, Department of Public Health and Microbiology, University of Torino, Italy
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23007896

• Crumb Infill and Turf Characterization for Trace Elements and Organic Materials

  2011, Dr. Paul J. Lioy and Dr. Clifford Weisel, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

• Overview of the Research on Crumb Rubber in Synthetic Turf

  2010, Prepared for the Synthetic Turf Council by The InnovaNet Group

• Review of the Impacts of Crumb Rubber in Artificial Turf Applications

  February 2010, Simon, Rachel, University of California, Berkeley, Laboratory for Manufacturing and Sustainability

  Report Summary: Authorities are worried that because of the chemical content of the material, exposure by various means could endanger the health of field users, especially children. However, extensive research has pointed to the conclusion that these fields result in little, if any, exposure to toxic substances.

• Peer Review of an Evaluation of the Health and Environmental Impacts Associated with Synthetic Turf Playing Fields

  June 2010, Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering

• An Evaluation of the Health and Environmental Impacts Associated with Synthetic Turf Playing Fields University of Connecticut Health Center

  2010, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Public Health, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection

• Human Health Risk Assessment of Artificial Turf Fields Based upon Results from Five Fields in Connecticut

  July 2010, Connecticut Department of Public Health, Program in Environmental and Occupational Health Assessment

  Report Summary: The use of outdoor and indoor artificial turf fields is not associated with elevated health risks.

• Artificial Turf Field Investigation in Connecticut Final Report

  2010, Nancy Simcox, Anne Bracker, John Meyer, Section of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Connecticut Heath Center

• Safety Study of Artificial Turf Containing Crumb Rubber Infill Made from Recycled Tires: Measurements of Chemicals and Particulates in the Air, Bacteria in the Turf, and Skin Abrasions Caused by Contact with the Surface

  2010, Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment, Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, State of California

• DEP Artificial Turf Stormwater Study

  July 2010, University of Connecticut Health Center, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, the Department of Public Health and DEP

• 2009 Study of Crumb Rubber Derived from Recycled Tires Final Report

  May 2010, Xiaolin Li, William Berger, Craig Musante, MaryJane Incorvia Mattina, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Analytical Chemistry

• Hydroxypyrene in urine of football players after playing on artificial sports field with tire crumb infill

  2010, Joost G. M. van Rooij Æ, Frans J. Jongeneelen, International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

• A Scoping-Level Field Monitoring Study of Synthetic Turf Fields and Playgrounds

  2009, National Exposure Research Laboratory Office of Research and Development U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• Air Quality Survey of Synthetic Turf Fields Containing Crumb Rubber Infill

  2009, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

• Zinc in Drainage Water Under Artificial Turf Fields with SBR

  March 2009, Hofstra, U.

• An Assessment of Chemical Leaching, Releases to Air and Temperature at Crumb-Rubber Infilled Synthetic Turf Fields

  2009, Lim, L. and R. Walker, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health

  Report Summary: Concentrations of VOCs and PM above field did not exceed background, even with high field temperatures; not likely to pose risk from inhalation.

• Initial Evaluation of Potential Human Health Risks Associated with Playing on Synthetic Turf Fields on Bainbridge Island

  January 2008, Michael Johns, Ph.D., Windward Environmental LLC

• Evaluation of Potential Environmental Risks Associated with Installing Synthetic Turf Fields on Bainbridge Island

  February 2008, Michael Johns, Ph.D., Windward Environmental LLC

  Report Summary: The results of their analysis indicated that playing on synthetic turf fields do not cause any increased health risk.

• Evaluation of Playing Surface Characteristics of Various In-Filled Systems

  April 2008, McNitt, A.S. The Pennsylvania State University

• A Review of the Potential Health and Safety Risks from Synthetic Turf Fields Containing Crumb Rubber Infill

  May 2008, Elizabeth Denly, Katarina Rutkowski, Karen M. Vetrano, Ph.D., TRC, Prepared for NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

  Report Summary: The NIPH [Norwegian Institute of Public Health] (2006) study did not show significant levels of risk to children playing football (rugby) on indoor synthetic turf fields, at exposure levels ranging from acute to chronic scenario.

• CPSC Staff Finds Synthetic Turf Fields OK to Install, OK to Play On

  July 2008, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, NEWS from CPSC

  Report Summary: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff today released its evaluation of various synthetic athletic fields. The evaluation concludes that young children are not at risk from exposure to lead in these fields.

• Fact Sheet: Crumb-Rubber Infilled Synthetic Turf Athletic Fields

  August 2008, New York City Department of Health

  Report Summary: Based on the available information, chemical exposures from crumb rubber in synthetic turf do not pose a public health hazard.

• Evaluation of the Environmental Effects of Synthetic Turf Athletic Fields

  December 2008, Bristol, S.G. and V.C. McDermott, Milone & MacBroom, Inc.

• Synthetic Playfields Task Force Findings and Department Recommendations

  2008, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department

• Environmental and Health Risks of Rubber Infill: Rubber crumb from car tyres as infill on artificial turf

  January 2007, Hofstra, U.

  Report Summary: Based on the available literature on exposure to rubber crumb by swallowing, inhalation and skin contact …we conclude, that there is not a significant health risk due to the presence of rubber infill for football players [for] an artificial turf pitch with rubber infill from used car tires.

• Rubber Crumb Health Risk Evaluation

  April 2007, Lamie, P. Memorandum to: Richard Reine, Director Concord Public Works

  Report Summary: I have reviewed the available literature regarding the use of rubber crumb in artificial turf infields — both pro and con — and in my professional opinion the artificial turf field would present no significant risk to human health.

• Evaluation of health risks caused by skin contact with rubber granules used in synthetic turf pitches

  2007, Dr. Christa Hametner, Vienna, Dr. Hans Theodor Grunder, Berlin

• Leaching of zinc from rubber infill on artificial turf (football pitches)

  2007, Laboratory for Ecological Risk Assessment

• Environmental and health assessment of the use of elastomer granulates (virgin and from used tyres) as infilll in third-generation artificial turf

  2007, Dr. Robert Moretto, ADEME / ALIAPUR / FIELDTURF TARKETT

• Preliminary Assessment of the Toxicity from Exposure to Crumb Rubber: its use in Playgrounds and Artificial Turf Playing Fields

  June 2007, Thomas Ledoux, Ph.D., New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

• Nitrosamines released from rubber crumb

  January 2007, van Bruggen, M., E.M. van Putten, and P.C.J.M. Janssen, RIVM: Bilthoven, the Netherlands

• Artificial turf pitches – An assessment of the health risks for football players

  2006, Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the Radium Hospital

• An Open Letter concerning the potential cancer risk from certain granulate infills from artificial turf

  July 2006, FIFA, Prof. Dr. Jiri Dvorak

• Measurement of non-exhaust particulate matter

  2004, Luhana, L., et al., 2004, Deliverable 8 of European Commission DG TrEn 5th Framework PARTICULATES Project

• Potential health and environmental effects linked to artificial turf systems – final report

  September 2004, Plesser, Thale S.W., Lund, J. Ole, Norwegian Building Research Institute

• Child-Specific Exposure Factors Handbook

  September 2002, U.S. EPA, National Center for Environmental Assessment–Washington Office

  Report Summary: Supplemental chronic risk estimates … indicate that regular exposure (e.g., regular play on ground rubber filled athletic fields) to ground rubber for the length of one’s childhood does not increase risk of cancer above levels considered by the State of California to be de minimus.

• Five Year Study of the Water Quality Effects of Tire Shreds Placed Above the Water Table

  March 2001, Humphrey, D.N. and E.K. Lynn, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maine

• Environmental Impacts of Recycled Rubber in Light-Fill Applications

  1998, Liu, Helen S., et. al., Department of Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell