# The Potential Release of Chemicals from Crumb Rubber Infill Material—A Literature Review

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how chemicals from tire crumb rubber used in sports fields might be released and their potential health risks.

## Contribution

The study provides a comprehensive review of chemical release from crumb rubber and highlights gaps in understanding health risks.

## Key findings

- Some dangerous chemicals like VOCs, PAHs, and phthalates were found to be released from crumb rubber.
- Bioaccessibility of chemicals is complex and not sufficient alone to assess health risks.
- There is a lack of bioavailability and real-world exposure studies to evaluate risks accurately.

## Abstract

End-of-life tyre (ELT) management is still a hot topic due to implications for sustainability and human health. This review aims to summarise the findings concerning the chemicals’ bio-accessibility/availability from the granular tyre-derived infill material used in sport surfaces. We included 14 original research articles and 5 reports (grey literature). The results included the analysis concerning volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, metal(loid)s and other substances. The release of some dangerous chemicals was demonstrated, even though results must be considered critically. However, the chemicals’ bioaccessibility shows a highly nuanced picture and is not, per se, sufficient to determine the risk for the exposed subjects. The lack of bioavailability and epidemiological studies analysing the exposures in real scenarios resulted in one of the main issues concerning a proper evaluation of the potential risks for human health.