A brand new examine suggests indoor mountaineering could pose some critical well being dangers . . . and the dangers don’t have anything to do with the potential for falling. Research published April 24th in ACS ES&T Air, a scientific journal from the American Chemical Society, means that indoor rock climbers are being uncovered to excessive concentrations of rubber-derived compounds (RDCs) within the air they breathe, and it’s all because of their climbing footwear.
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The authors observe that many shopper merchandise within the sports-equipment class include RDCs, together with climbing footwear. That is of curiosity due to these compounds’ “demonstrated toxicity to animal species.” In different phrases, if RDCs are poisonous to non-human animals, shouldn’t people be involved? Apparently, sure.
Poisonous Climbing Footwear?
Within the examine, researched investigated RDCs deliberately included into climbing footwear for enhanced efficiency. “We discovered excessive concentrations of 15 RDCs in shoe sole samples . . . aerosol particulate matter . . . and settled mud in indoor climbing halls,” the examine says. “The estimated every day consumption through inhalation/ingestion of Σ15 RDCs for climbers and staff in a few of these amenities ranged from 1.7 to 48 ng/kg/day, exceeding identified consumption ranges of RDCs from different sources.”
How do RDCs get from footwear into the air? It’s probably from the friction of the footwear consistently rubbing up towards the footholds inside a climbing gymnasium. The researchers acknowledge that chalk utilized by climbers contributes to nearly all of the particulate matter that degrades air high quality inside a climbing gymnasium, however inhaling these rubber particles could, in the long run, be much more harmful.
In reality, the examine states that some RDCs are “poisonous to human lung cells.” Whereas all sports activities include some form of inherent danger, components to shopper merchandise that then change into particles which can be poisonous to human lung cells appears to go a step past “pure danger.”
What do you suppose? Will you proceed to pursue indoor mountaineering regardless of well being dangers posed by RDCs? What ought to be carried out?
Learn the entire examine: The Invisible Footprint of Climbing Shoes: High Exposure to Rubber Additives in Indoor Facilities
Header inventory picture by Nitat Termmee through Getty