Report warns of health hazards of using recycled tires in buildings
ERJ staff report (LMH)
London -- A report by the Healthy Building Network, a US environmental health association, says that the use of recycled tires in buildings could be exposing people to toxic chemicals.
The report looks at crumb rubber, which can be used to make flooring for homes, schools, gyms and offices. Healthy Building Network noted that aromaric process oils, which can make up to 30 percent of a tire’s mass, could be released from building products through “ordinary use or cleaning of the floor”.
The report, titled ‘Avoiding Contaminants in Tire-Derived Flooring’, recommends that tire crumb processors should start screening tire crumb for toxic ingredients, and should have taken third-party certification the Crown does not contain toxic ingredients above threshold of concern. It added that flooring manufacturers should only use tire crumb that has third-party certified screening procedures.
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News release from Healthy Building Network
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