Hundreds of relatively unknown chemicals may be entering into the environment just after a few weeks of rubber tire and artificial turf wear and tear.
Researchers at Northeastern University in Boston found 572 chemical byproducts may be produced in as little as 12 weeks, showing the rubber used to make tires and fake grass could “undergo degradation at a faster rate than predicted,” according to a study published last week in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science & Technology.
The study, which analyzed one turf and two tire samples subject to accelerated sunlight and rain experiments, showed that chemical transformation happens most rapidly early on and slows down as the rubber ages.
“Our analysis highlights the complexity of tire and turf crumb rubber aging and the need for further investigation of rubber-derived chemicals and their transformation products,” wrote the team of chemists in the university’s chemical biology department.
