Parent issues PSA about dangers of commonly used material in children's playgrounds: 'They've always been toxic'

This common playground material has hidden dangers.

TikToker and parent Beatrice the Anti-Plastic Lady (@antiplasticlady) warned others about the dangers of tire rubber after discovering its carcinogenic makeup.

"Tires have never not been toxic, and they've always been toxic, but you wouldn't know it because we're putting them in countless children's playgrounds, using them in school soccer fields all over the world, and growing our tomatoes in them in the backyard," she said. 

@antiplasticlady Replying to @Bre🤍 take precautions when around rubber mulch, astroturf and exposure to tires - even if you don't work in a tire factory. #crumbrubber #toxicchemicals #rubbermulch ♬ original sound - Beatrice the Anti-Plastic Lady

It's true. Tires are made of a combination of materials, including natural and synthetic rubber, silica, carbon black, and carcinogenic chemicals such as benzene and 6PPD-Q. 

Synthetic rubber is not organic and doesn't decompose. Tires wear down into microscopic particles — called tire dust — that pollute soil, waterways, and the air. 

Long-term exposure to this fine dust, especially for workers in the tire industry, can cause lung cancer, liver cancer, leukemia, and other cancers, according to the Lung Cancer Center. 

Because of their complex makeup, tires are not easily recycled. Tire rubber can't be melted down and reused like glass or aluminum, and many states have bans on tires entering landfills.

To recycle tires, rubber pieces are cut into shreds or chunks, known as rubber mulch, and used for landscaping. Tinier chunks, or crumb rubber, are used for playgrounds, artificial turf, and roads.

Parents, auto shop workers, and anyone around tires, crumb rubber, or rubber mulch may be unaware of the potential danger of rubber, and Beatrice recommended they "take a lot of precaution."

Fortunately, researchers are working to develop new and effective methods for recycling rubber. One team of researchers successfully broke down rubber into epoxy resin. Another group of scientists used pressure-cooking to turn tire scraps into carbon black.

How often do you worry about toxic chemicals getting into your home? Always 😥 Often 😟 Sometimes 😕 Never 🫠 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Commenters were shocked to learn about the presence of dangerous carcinogens in tire rubber.

"My kids play on this every day at their school," one user wrote. "How do you protect your kids when they play on these rubber playgrounds?"

Another concerned commenter asked, "What happens to all the car mechanics?" 

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