Commercial applications of end-of-life tires (ELT) as crumb rubber infill in sports pitches are unlikely to see any changes after the scientific committees of the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) granted their new approval, Fazilet Cinaralp, secretary of the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers Association (ETRMA) said.

According to the ECHA’s findings, infill material with levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) below 20 ppm pose no harm to athletes.

“In end-of-life tires PAHs are present as impurities, with reported levels of 12 ppm in average, and rarely reaching 20ppm,” Cinaralp noted.

Her statement comes after last week The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) announced that its committee for socio-economic analysis (SEAC) and Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) had agreed with the proposals to limit eight PAHs found in granules and mulches used in synthetic turf. This decision was formed after an earlier opinion by the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) was voiced in June.

The decision backed a 2018 proposal from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, which was aimed to reduce the overall concentration limit of eight PAHs to 20 mg/kg. At present, concentration limits for PAHs in mixes provided to the general public should not exceed 100 mg/kg.

However, infill material will require tests, the ECHA stated adding that this will guarantee that producers use exclusively the materials with safe levels. This step is expected to boost trust to the material among consumers.

Article by ECHA.