WAG Hazards of Pit Foam

[Quadqueen]

If you haven't heard about this yet....fire-retardant chemicals used in pit foam is found in alarming rates in the bodies of college gymnasts.

http://www.intlgymnast.com/index.ph...-in-foam-blocks&catid=81:headlines&Itemid=198

 

[MaryA]

How often to gyms need to replace the foam? It seems like, if the stuff was banned in 2005, surely most gyms will have replaced foam blocks that are that old? Or am I deluding myself? DD's gym is only a little over 2 years old, and I myself helped to take brand new foam blocks out of the packaging, so I am going to assume that her pit is safe, because I don't need one more gymnastics-related thing to worry about!

 

[Quadqueen]

I know, MaryA! I was telling my husband about this. He jokingly said, "well, you wanted her to be in a gym that had a pit - now she's going to get cancer!"

I know a coach at DD's gym is a clean/neat freak, but I have no idea how often that foam is replaced.

 

[MaryA]

DD's HC is also a clean freak (at least as far as the gym goes... her office? Not so much.) and she cringes when I remind her, as we're all headed home and she and her minions are preparing to clean the gym, that when we were at the Y, the mats got cleaned once a year, whether they needed it or not!

I can only think that the pits are nasty though, toxic chemicals or not. The mats can get washed down and disinfected on a regular basis, but those foam blocks? Not so much.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

let's not get alarmed over this just now. it is going to be looked in to over time. suffice, many of us have had loose foam pits since the 70's. we've been 'breathing' everything that exists in a gym. chalk dust, pit foam dust, farts, etc; and no one that i know my age that has breathing this stuff for as long as we have has been sick from it all...let alone cancer related to any of it.

even if the foam were not treated, the chemical make up of foam has cyanide in it. and we are required to have foam that has been treated because it is used with children in the event of a fire. but foam that is 'wrapped' like a landing mat or resi is not required to be treated because it is 'wrapped'. although fires in gyms are rare, we all want to see the foam self extinguish if there were ever a fire. foam that is not treated 'goes up' like dry leaves or like trees in a forest fire. it's nasty.

now, i'm not dismissing the former gymnast that is now a scientist and has performed these tests on college gymnasts. we just don't know what tests were performed, what setting, controls, etc; and we don't know for certain what they were exposed to too show these elevated levels. there is more to be done.

i will keep you all posted...

 

[txgymfan]

There are some things we just can't control. I try to eat healthy, breathe healthy etc. but I am not going to stop eating peanut m & m's because of artificial colors and I won't worry about gym pits because they are made of chemicals.

 

[Faith]

l

now, i'm not dismissing the former gymnast that is now a scientist and has performed these tests on college gymnasts. we just don't know what tests were performed, what setting, controls, etc; and we don't know for certain what they were exposed to too show these elevated levels. there is more to be done.

i will keep you all posted...

From what I can see from a quick run through, all they have shown is gymnasts have elevated levels of these chemicals in their bodies, when compared to the "normal" population.

They do not infer any effects on ill health, and I don't think this particular chemical has ever been to show statistically relevant adverse effects on health. There is a *possibility* it may be related to thyroid issues, or fertility issues. This is not a confirmed link, or in anyway proven. There is no suggestion whatsoever of cancer.

The chemical is also banned voluntarily, as presumably there are now better alternatives. It is not banned because it was causing any issues, health or otherwise.

So I wouldn't be too alarmed

 

[Quadqueen]

This post was not to indicate I am freaking out...it was just an FYI...do with it what you will