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Backyard Playground Equipment

The Backstory

Wood Play Sets and Chromated Copper Arsenate
For many years, the primary concern with children's wood play sets (and with any treated wood for that matter) was the wood preservative chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a dangerous wood preservative and pesticide under strict control by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The arsenic in CCA-treated play sets rubs off on the hands of children playing on or around the play set, and it can be ingested from hand-to-mouth contact following exposure to arsenic-laden soil underneath the play sets. Several studies have shown that arsenic can increase the risk of lung, bladder and skin cancers, among others. Lower levels of exposure can cause nausea and vomiting, abnormal heart rhythms and decreased production of white and red blood cells. According to the Environmental Working Group, an average five-year-old playing less then two weeks on a CCA-treated wood play set can exceed the lifetime cancer risk considered acceptable for arsenic under federal pesticide laws.

Environmentally damaging as well, arsenic can remain in wood and soil for many years, and it can leach from treated wood in significant amounts, contaminating ground and surface waters. Studies have also shown acute exposure to arsenic to be fatal to wildlife, such as deer.

The good news is that today, CCA is no longer used in new play sets or any other outdoor residential wood products. The bad news, however, is that, until 2001, 99 percent of wood playground equipment in the U.S. was made with CCA-treated wood, so chances are that you'll still find CCA-treated wood in public playgrounds and the backyards of older homes.

And while alternative wood preservatives appear to pose far fewer risks to human health, it's still better to opt for untreated wood or recycled plastics and metals. Tests conducted by the Florida Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management found that leaching of copper from wood treated with less-toxic ammoniacal copper quaternary or similar treatments may pose toxicity risks to fish and other aquatic organisms.

Recycled Tires and Crumb Rubber Surfaces
Despite the seeming greenness of using old tires as play surfaces, ground-up tires (called rubber mulch or "crumb") has been found to release 49 different chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds and tire particulates. Several of these chemicals are linked to cancer or adverse reproductive effects. A child's limited exposure to these chemicals is unlikely to cause him long-term harm, but these ground-up tires may also contain latex, which has been linked to asthma and latex allergies.

Child Safety
In addition to arsenic, parents may contend with lead paint, particularly on older equipment with peeling, chipped or cracked paint. Lead is a known neurotoxin that can cause learning disabilities, behavioral disorders and other health concerns. And while the federal government banned lead-based paint in the late 1970s, a 2002 study by the Consumer Federation of America and the Public Interest Research Group found 46 percent of public playgrounds still contained equipment with lead paint.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission also cautions against solid steel slides, steps or decks in warmer climates, where heated metal surfaces can cause second or third degree burns on children in seconds.