Toxic Playgrounds- Rubber Mats Again!
I posted awhile ago about how those rubber mats on the playgrounds are causing 2nd and 3rd degree burns. I got quite a few emails from readers who were upset and disgusted. Readers wondered why the Parks Department knowingly installs these hazardous mats, places the burden on parents to make sure their children wear shoes or don't fall on these "hot" mats and lastly, why the Parks Department doesn't issue warnings about them. It is all so maddening.
Reader Tracy wrote in to alert me to that the heat from these mats isn't the only concern: the fact that they off-gas 49 different chemicals, heavy metals (including arsenic and lead) and tire dust that can be lodged in lungs is another major concern. Tracy wrote that she wondered if this was reason that the Ave Y and Bedford Ave playground had been torn up.
There MUST be something we can all do about these rubber mats. Anyone interested in taking up the cause?
The following is from The Green Guide- National Geographic's awesome environmental site.
by Catherine Zandonella, M.P.H
A reader asks the Green Guide:
What do you know of the safety or toxicity of pour-in-place recycled rubber matting for playgrounds?
Nance K.
Alberta, Canada
The Green Guide responds:
Recycled rubber is finding favor in playgrounds both because it does a
good job of cushioning falls and because turning rubber into playground
matting helps deal with the 290 million scrap tires generated
nationwide. Although we ecologically minded types would very much like
to find uses for those mounds of discarded tires, shoveling them into
playgrounds is probably not the answer.
To prepare them for playground surfaces, manufacturers wash old tires, pulverize them, and use magnets to remove metals and contaminants. Then they mix the grains with a binding agent such as polyurethane and either pour the mixture directly into the playground or make it into tiles for later installation. They can also make rubber mulch (or "crumb"), which can be coated in outlandishly bright colors and is commonly spied at playgrounds headed for a toddler's open mouth.
But those ground-up tires release 49 different chemicals, according to the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which get released when surfaces are exposed to light and heat and as they age; heavy metals, such as zinc, lead, cadmium, chromium and arsenic; and tiny bits of latex-containing tire dust small enough to lodge in the lungs. Of those 49 chemicals, seven are carcinogens.
The OEHHA surveyed all the available safety studies on these surfaces and estimated that an average three-year old who ingests a fistful (10 grams) of tire crumb would likely suffer no more than an upset tummy from ingesting too much zinc. However, several other environmental health organizations have raised concerns about the multitude of chemicals that kids inhale playing so close to the ground. The California survey didn't look at health problems posed by inhaling all those 49 chemicals, and there is evidence that new rubber surfaces, at least, can emit VOCs at unhealthy levels for up to two years.
As for their safety benefits, crumb rubber has been found to protect against falls better than wood mulch, but about two-thirds of the playgrounds sampled by the OEHHA had at least one piece of equipment without a rubber surface underneath thick enough to protect kids from falls.
When you factor in possible ecological contamination, the mats get even less appealing. Laboratory studies have found that concentrated leachate from shredded tires poses dangers to fish, frogs, plants and other aquatic life.
The recycled-rubber mats should be less of a health risk than shredded crumb given that the bonded solid mat is less likely to contain small particles that can be ingested or inhaled, but given the uncertainty surrounding the health risks of these materials, it's better to stick with pesticide-free wood chips and mulch, which don't offgas chemicals, trigger asthma, or kill fish. Just be sure the wood chips and mulch are properly installed and replenished frequently enough to offer proper protection against falls.
This is really helpful if you are thinking about painting. This website is run by National Geographic so I totally trust it- and thanks Leo for telling me about it. Here it is: 
The other toothbrush that might interest you is this toothbrush designed for safety. It is also an award winner. The oblong toothbrush is safe enough for babies as young as six months.
It prevents over-insertion into the mouth and reduces risk of injury, and
it's easy for tots to manipulate, too. To get this toothbrush from 
I posted about lead paint and got extensive and researched feedback from a local Brooklyn dad- Leo. Thanks LEO!
I had a much needed prenatal massage last week. I went to a fairly new place in Brooklyn- 
Kinja started me on the table with wedges placed all around my large pregnant belly and body and I was comfortable. She started with more pressure than I wanted but as soon as I mentioned that I was sensitive, she tempered her pressure immediately and I melted. I never think a prenatal massage is as satisfying as a massage when you aren't pregnant because you don't get all the deep work or the full body massage (your belly of course is off-limits), but this felt superb. After Kinja left I actually fell asleep on the table. It is a miracle I even woke up. Apparently, Kinja's massage completely relaxed me. The comfortable and quiet environment didn't hurt either.
Thank you to Sharon for her advice. She wrote in on the "comments" section of my post about 
Are you tearing your hair out trying to get your child to brush his/her teeth? (me too!). Here are some suggestions that you may find helpful for ages 6 months to 7 years. I compiled these from various sources in the internet. 
