RT Journal Article
T1 Metal and metalloid content in real urban synthetic surfaces made of recycled tire crumb rubber including playgrounds and football fields
A1 Duque Villaverde, Andrés
A1 Sóñora Otero, Sergio
A1 Dagnac, Thierry
A1 Roca Bordello, Enrique
A1 Llompart Vizoso, María del Pilar
K1 Microplastics
K1 End-of-life tires (ELTs)
K1 Crumb rubber
K1 Elemental analysis
K1 Heavy metals
K1 Playgrounds
K1 Football fields
AB The disposal of end-of-life tires (ELTs) is an important issue in the context of solid waste management. In the last decades, the main recycling route consists of the ELTs transformation in crumb rubber, which is widely used worldwide in playgrounds and sports fields as infill material. Crumb rubber represents the largest source of intentional microplastics in the environment. This microplastic material contains high metal concentration including toxic and heavy metals. Few studies deal with the metal(loid) characterization of real crumb rubber samples taken in situ from sports and leisure facilities. Research is especially scarce for playgrounds, despite interest due to the population using these facilities (children).This study aims at addressing the metal(loid) distribution in a large number of real samples from different urban places, most from Galicia (NW Spain) but also from other countries. 32 elements including metals (Ag, Al, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, In, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, Ti, Tl, U, V, Zn) and 4 metalloids (As, B, Sb, Si) were determined. For comparison purposes, some alternative materials (cork, sand, and thermoplastic elastomers) were collected. The results showed high Zn levels (1–2 %) in crumb rubber, exceeding the safety limits set in the European directives for related matrices. Heavy and toxic elements (Pb, Cr, As, Cd, Sb) were found in all samples, reaching concentrations up to 100 mg kg−1. Co presented concentrations of 200 mg kg−1, well above the safety limits (10 mg kg−1 for toys). ANOVA showed statistical differences between playgrounds and football fields for some elements. The alternative materials proved safer regarding metal(loid) content. This study is the largest one about metal(loid) characterization in crumb rubber surfaces attending the number of samples, origin, and elements analyzed.
PB Elsevier
SN 0048-9697
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/41165
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/41165
LA eng
NO Duque-Villaverde, A., Sóñora, S., Dagnac, T., Roca, E., Llompart, M. (2025). Metal and metalloid content in real urban synthetic surfaces made of recycled tire crumb rubber including playgrounds and football fields. "The Science Of The Total Environment" vol. 975, 179267
NO The research was supported by projects PID2019-104336RB-I00 and PID2022-140148OB-I00 (Ministry of Science, Innovation and Univer sities, Spain), and ED431B 2023/04 and IN607B 2022/15 (Xunta de Galicia). This study is also based upon work from the Sample tion Study Group and Network, supported by the Division of Analytical Chemistry of the European Chemical Society. The authors are affiliated with the National Network for Sustainable Sample Preparation, RED2022-134079-T (Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Spain). S.S. would like to thank the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for his predoctoral contract (PREP2022-000520). Authors would like to thank the use of RIAIDT-USC analytical facilities
DS Minerva
RD 24 abr 2026