China’s synthetic school running tracks made of industrial waste such as old rubber tyres and cables, says state TV
Synthetic school running tracks in China – the focus of a series of public health scares – are being made from industrial waste including old rubber tyres and discarded cables, mainland media report.
The mills were supplying the materials for construction companies that build tracks in and outside the province, including the capital, Beijing, the report said, quoting construction workers.
The mills producing the raw materials for the tracks were using scrap industrial waste to cut costs and achieve higher profit margins, the report said.
The report has triggered a fresh wave of angry comments on mainland social media, with some people asking what regulators have been doing to allow such problems to escalate.
The programme set out to expose the manufacturers of poisonous synthetic school running tracks after an outcry when toxic substances were discovered in a school running track in Beijing in May.
Dozens children reportedly suffered health problems, including nose bleeds, headaches and allergies and sore eyes skin, after using the track at Beijing No 2 Experimental School’s Baiyunlu campus.
Tests carried out on the track found excessive quantities of highly toxic poisons – benzene and formaldehyde, Xinhua reported earlier.
The Beijing school has chosen to replace the whole of its playground, including the track, because of the health scare.
The mainland has been plagued by numerous health scares involving toxic running tracks with at least 32 schools in 12 mainland provinces and municipalities reporting complaints from parents since 2014, mainland media has reported.
