Recycled rubber and fibre arena surface. How toxic is it?

[Fieldfare]

I have a recycled rubber and fibre surface and it has been great. It's been down for 10 years and never had an issue, but yesterday I stumbled upon an article saying how terrible they were for people and the environment. Basically they are constantly shedding microplastics and toxic chemicals into the environment. I am heartbroken because I thought I was doing and good thing, and my children play in there as well as other people's children. I can't find an alternative option though in the UK which isn't a recycled material. I just wondered if anyone knew of anything?

 

[Melody Grey]

I think there have been other threads to this effect on here- have a search.

I think I’m correct in saying that you can’t install a new surface like this, though I know if many pre-existing ones seemingly being used without a problem.

 

[PurBee]

Rubber is generally inert and breaks down much much slower than polyester fibres. The fibres offered for arenas look to be very mixed material. So much material these days is a poly-cotton or full polyester.
Your kids playing in the arena are at no more risk than walking around a clothing store, or wearing polyester clothing themselves. At least old fibres have done all the manufacturing process ‘de-gassing’ theyre going to do, whereas newly made plastic based fibres undergo many chemical procedures to produce a soft yarn. Even bamboo clothing is popular these days as an ‘eco’ material, whereas that’s complete nonsense as the chemical baths the bamboo is treated through are highly toxic!

I personally wouldnt worry about kids playing there, due to toxicity.
You presumably have the surface contained with footboards on the outer edges to prevent it washing out and making its way out and toxifying surrounding soils?

In the grand scheme of things how detrimental is sand-mining for arena/building industry use? Everything we humans do to use resources tends to have detrimental consequences in some shape, way or form. All we can do is minimise impact and fully recycle as harmlessly as possible what toxic resources have been created.

Using up the mountain of old tyres globally and old clothes and recycling them for other multiple-years uses, like arena footing, allows that material to still have a use instead of toxic methods of disposal or recycling like burning/melting. Or indeed just being dumped in huge piles all over earth!
The arenas fibres go through a fairly innocuous shredding process and magnet sweep to get out metals, so the material can be re-used, in comparison to other methods of recycling such materials.

The real issue with synthetic arena footing materials is if horses are allowed to be turned out in there and there’s poops to clear up, those poops could well have bits of synthetic rubber and possible synthetic fibres stuck to them - which then make their way onto the muck heap and likely eventually get spread on farmed fields.
This practice would, over time, add to the synthetic materials in soils and due to the soil be worked regularly, and plants uptaking the micro-pollutants from such materials, cause detrimental effects on plants, soil microbes etc.

To negate this environmental soil pollution consequence possibility from synthetic fibres arenas being poop-scooped, is for the yard to have a separate pile where the arena poops are piled. (Or for every poop lifted to be inspected and bits picked off which im sure no-one has the will/time to do!!)
This separate pile should be allowed to rot right down to become crumbly like soil, then the material can be easily sieved/screened and fibres removed. Quarry yards will likely offer this service, for huge bulk loads, as they screen all sizes of various materials.
But the average yard wouldnt produce a huge amount of poops from the arena surface to be in a separate pile, and youd find after a year it would rot down quicky, due to not mixed with bedding manure pile, there would be minimal compost there, and the bits of fibre/rubber could be raked off while compost is levels/spread.

If the arena poops with fibres/rubbers stuck to it, are being thrown on the general bedding/manure pile, then we contribute to the worlds soils having rubber and plastics in them, whereas throwing those poops in a separate small pile would really help reduce that over-spill contamination of farmed soils.

As an aside, this year i bought a pallet load of compost from a leading brand who use just ‘natural‘resources. However im shocked to find bits of plastic bag pieces in it, even metal twine. God knows where they are getting their source material from now, as this brand was known for utilising 100% organic mined material -yet the non-organic bits im finding suggests theyre using household ‘brown bin’ garden waste composted down, which is concerning considering the ‘garden care’ chemical isle grows larger every year in garden centres and all that residually ends up in ’brown bins’ waste.
Im an organic farmer and avoid ‘household waste compost’ like the plague due to its chemical contamination issues.

Without decent containment practices in place, we run the risk of contaminating the best soils on the planet. Its happening behind the scenes, and wont ever be on the front page of the ‘daily mail’ - but the consequences are far and wide, having an effect on crops/earnings/health etc.

Living without synthetic chemical materials is impossible, but safely/sensibly managing them and containing them is the only real solution we can employ when we use them. Synthetic arena surfaces is a contained physical site. Having footboards really help literally contain the tiny bits which are likely to break down in the fibres over time.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

It’s the persistent organic pollutants that are the main environmental concern from furniture and carpets in particular flame-retardants. They stay in the environment a long time and end up in the food chain. I don’t think there is any immediate danger to anyone but obviously the more that gets into the environment the bigger the potential longer term consequences. It’s the cumulative effect that is the real problem.

What’s happening with ‘Persistent Organic Pollutants’ (aka POPs)?

Resource looks at the background of the POPs restrictions and legislation

resource.co

Secondary to that is as above micro plastics which also end up being ingested by things we eat and therefore potentially us.

 

[Fieldfare]

It’s the persistent organic pollutants that are the main environmental concern from furniture and carpets in particular flame-retardants. They stay in the environment a long time and end up in the food chain. I don’t think there is any immediate danger to anyone but obviously the more that gets into the environment the bigger the potential longer term consequences. It’s the cumulative effect that is the real problem.

What’s happening with ‘Persistent Organic Pollutants’ (aka POPs)?

Resource looks at the background of the POPs restrictions and legislation

resource.co

Secondary to that is as above micro plastics which also end up being ingested by things we eat and therefore potentially us.

The microplastic thing scares me to death as I don't want to be responsible for contaminating the water table . I have only found one NZ company who has an alternative to recycled material surfaces. In the UK recycled rubber still seems to be the standard. Has anyone got anything else? My understanding is that sand alone is unsuitable because it rides deep?

 

[Tiddlypom]

Apparently at least some councils are now refusing planning permission for recycled rubber arena surfaces in the UK, though back when I got planning in 2012 it was considered to be an ethical way of reusing old car tyres.

Having got my existing rubber surface together with sand, which I am very pleased with, I am sticking with it. In any case, what on earth could I do with the old surface if I replaced it with something else ?

 

[Fieldfare]

Apparently at least some councils are now refusing planning permission for recycled rubber arena surfaces in the UK, though back when I got planning in 2012 it was considered to be an ethical way of reusing old car tyres.

Having got my existing rubber surface together with sand, which I am very pleased with, I am sticking with it. In any case, what on earth could I do with the old surface if I replaced it with something else ?

Well that's it. isn't it. If I thought it was a case of scraping it off and replacing it with something similar but that didn't shed waste, I would do that, but I can't find anything. What's in waxed sand? It says a synthetic chemical? Does that shed microplastics? I don't know. I know woodchip would be a nightmare as I have used it before on a yard and it's ok for the first couple of years but then turns to bog. I have replaced that with sand but it's either rock hard or deep. Not something I could ride on although the horses love to lie in it. If anyone has a super duper eco arena surface please let me know.

 

[PurBee]

Well that's it. isn't it. If I thought it was a case of scraping it off and replacing it with something similar but that didn't shed waste, I would do that, but I can't find anything. What's in waxed sand? It says a synthetic chemical? Does that shed microplastics? I don't know. I know woodchip would be a nightmare as I have used it before on a yard and it's ok for the first couple of years but then turns to bog. I have replaced that with sand but it's either rock hard or deep. Not something I could ride on although the horses love to lie in it. If anyone has a super duper eco arena surface please let me know.

Everything sheds as everything breaks down eventually, the only difference is how long that takes.
Your old surface if replaced would likely be dumped in landfill if these bulk loads dont currently routinely get screened, so that option isnt environmentally sound.

100% Pure sand is the least toxic, although from a kids health perspective id be more worried about silica dust inhalation playing in it on dry days, as the sand slowly gets ground-up with hoof traffic, and a small % ends up as airborne-dust. It would also be a concern for horse health, unless regularly wetted to keep it dust-free before use.

Waxed sand could be any synthetic wax - it may be soy based wax as the soy industry is huge now - but it likely would contain chemical residues from commercial soy farming practices, unless specifically stated organic soy wax used.
(70% of americans have glyphosate traces in their urine, these issues are much wider than outwardly reported)

A side note, some members have mentioned on here not liking waxed surfaces, i dont recall exact details but something about it being sticky and therefore not liking it for horse tendon health.

The options are non-existant for a truly 100% non-toxic, chemically & bacterially healthy arena thats suitable for kids to play in it.
More of a natural concern would be the soil-borne and manure bacteria regularly transferred to the arena from the horses hooves, and children being exposed to that. Unless the horses hooves are disinfected before going in the arena.
(Im talking moreso toddler age where the hands go into the mouth and up the nose regularly no matter where theyve been!)
Yet kids get exposed to all these aspects of concern, whether micro-plastics and/or bacteria through many other avenues of life - its about limiting exposure.
An arena, no matter what’s it’s made from, that horses use, is likely to have a higher adverse bacterial count than say, the lawned back garden to play on, that no animal pees and poops on.

Environmental wisest choice would be to use these generally long-term inert slow-degrading materials for other permanent uses, rather than dump them in landfill, or cause a smog the size of China burning it all down to re-mould to other product uses.

I know it’s concerning, the toxic aspects of life, but we can make wise choices to minimise harm, if we use/re-cycle appropriately/sensibly, and limit exposure to soils/plant/water courses - ultimately aiding our own physical health. The waste industry of the entire globe has severe upgrading needed and changes are made all the time as these issues become better understood, and best solutions employed.

 

[teapot]

This is from 2018 https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/new...ena-surface-warning-environment-agency-661424 and this https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/ea-warning-plastic-granulate-horse-tracks/ so your concerns aren't new if that's of any reassurance

ETS: EA on plastics use is here https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plastic-pollution-could-stop-horse-riders-in-their-tracks


Latest rules over carpet based surfaces are here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...-waste-carpet-in-equestrian-surfacing-rps-248

 

[SilverLinings]

This is from 2018 https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/new...ena-surface-warning-environment-agency-661424 and this https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/ea-warning-plastic-granulate-horse-tracks/ so your concerns aren't new if that's of any reassurance

ETS: EA on plastics use is here https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plastic-pollution-could-stop-horse-riders-in-their-tracks


Latest rules over carpet based surfaces are here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...-waste-carpet-in-equestrian-surfacing-rps-248

Interestingly the Gov page on using carpet fibres is dated 2021 and ends by saying that it will be updated no later than 30th June 2022. Has there been any update or is this the most recent information?