The Yaiza City Council has conveyed a message of reassurance to families in response to recent reports regarding the potential toxicity of rubber flooring used in playgrounds. The Council, led by Óscar Noda, considers it important to clarify certain scientific and regulatory aspects related to these materials, with the aim of providing rigorous information and preventing the generation of social alarm not supported by the conclusions of available research.
The councilor for the Area, Rubén Arca, points out that the disseminated news originates from research conducted by the Institute of Environmental Diagnosis and Water Studies (IDAEA), part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), which has identified certain chemical substances present in rubber materials used in recreational and sports facilities.
“But it is important to clarify,” Arca emphasizes, “that detecting the presence of certain chemical substances does not necessarily mean there is a health risk. To determine this, it is necessary to know their concentrations, exposure routes, and the amounts that can actually reach the body during normal use of the facilities.”
The studies have highlighted the need to deepen the understanding of these materials, especially in relation to their aging, wear, and exposure to solar radiation and high temperatures.
According to the information provided about the research, the analyzed materials comply with the limits established by current European regulations for the evaluated substances. Nevertheless, researchers consider it necessary to continue studying whether these limits are sufficient and how exposure evolves over time.
In this regard, the Spanish Government itself, in an official response to the Congress of Deputies in September 2024, indicated that, as of that date, there was no published scientific evidence proving negative health effects on children from the use of bound rubber surfaces, while simultaneously recommending attention to their potential deterioration.
The European restriction of 2031 does not affect continuous playground surfaces
Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 establishes that, as of October 17, 2031, the marketing of microplastics used as granular infill in synthetic sports surfaces, such as artificial turf football pitches, will be prohibited.
In these facilities, rubber particles remain loose among the turf fibers and can disperse into the environment due to use, wind, or rain. “The purpose of the restriction is precisely to reduce this microplastic pollution, not to generally prohibit rubber due to its toxicity,” highlights the councilor for Parks and Gardens of Yaiza.
Arca details that “the continuous pavements of playgrounds are different; the rubber granules are bound by resins, forming a compact surface, without the loose granular infill of sports fields. Therefore, the European restriction of 2031 does not affect these agglomerated continuous pavements, which continue to be permitted as long as they comply with applicable regulations.”
These pavements offer important safety features, especially in impact absorption from falls, and contribute to ensuring the accessibility of play areas for children with reduced mobility or wheelchair users.
Commitment to legality, safety, accessibility, and maintenance
The Yaiza City Council assures that it "maintains a firm commitment to the legality, safety, accessibility, and proper conservation of its playgrounds."
In this regard, the Council is subjecting newly created play areas to inspection and certification processes in accordance with applicable European safety standards, especially the UNE-EN 1176 series, relating to playground equipment, and the UNE-EN 1177 standard, relating to impact-absorbing surfaces.
“These actions,” notes the councilor, “allow us to verify that the new facilities meet the required technical safety conditions before they are made available to users.”
Likewise, the City Council is incorporating shade areas in all newly constructed playgrounds, with the aim of improving thermal comfort, reducing children's direct exposure to solar radiation, and promoting more suitable conditions of use during hotter periods.
This measure is especially relevant in Lanzarote, where high sun exposure makes it advisable to have spaces protected from the sun, also contributing to limiting the direct heating of the playing surfaces located under the shaded areas.
On the other hand, the Yaiza City Council has a maintenance contract for the municipality's playgrounds, aimed at keeping the facilities in adequate conditions for use, detecting possible deficiencies, and carrying out the necessary conservation and repair work.
Municipal maintenance pays special attention to the condition of the shock-absorbing pavements, in order to identify possible wear, detachment, or deterioration that could compromise their safety performance. This monitoring is especially relevant in the high sun exposure conditions of Lanzarote and allows for the determination of the necessary conservation or repair work.
"The safety of children's areas depends not only on the choice of materials, but also on their correct installation, verification of their compliance with applicable standards, and adequate maintenance throughout their entire useful life," points out Rubén Arca.
Monitoring of investigations and regulations
For his part, the mayor of Yaiza, Óscar Noda, emphasizes that "the Yaiza City Council will remain attentive to the evolution of scientific investigations on rubber pavements, as well as to possible modifications of European regulations and recommendations that may be made by competent bodies, because the safety of our children is paramount."
Noda considers that "any decision on the materials used in playgrounds must be supported by contrasted scientific data and objective technical criteria, avoiding the generation of unnecessary alarm among families."
The City Council's priority is "to guarantee that the children of Yaiza can continue to enjoy safe, accessible, and correctly maintained playgrounds, adapting its actions to new scientific knowledge and to the regulatory requirements that may be established."
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