Arsenic Lurks in Canadian Playgrounds: IS YOUR CHILD SAFE?

We think of playgrounds as safe places for our children. But in some, children could be at risk from an unlikely source: the very equipment they play on. Playground structures made from a type of pressure-treated wood are leaching high levels of arsenic into the surrounding sand, potentially exposing young children to the carcinogenic heavy metal.

Working with a certified lab, Environmental Defence conducted an independent study of 58 pressure-treated wood playgrounds in seven cities across the country to determine the levels of arsenic in the sand. More than half of the playgrounds tested had arsenic levels above the Environment Canada safety guideline for soil (12 ppm). The highest result was over twelve times the federal guideline.

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