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Sat, January 23, 2021 | 08:18
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Schools move away from artificial turf playgrounds
학교에서 인조잔디 '퇴출'…이제는 흙운동장으로
Posted : 2016-04-28 17:19
Updated : 2016-04-28 17:53
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By Kim Se-jeong

When it comes to school playgrounds, natural is the biggest trend.

Artificial turf was popular in the early 2000s, and schools with money covered their grounds with the artificial greenery. The Ministry of Education offered financial help to schools to make the switch, and more than 1,000 schools across the country joined in the change.

Artificial grass was welcomed because it dried fast after rain, and protected students better from injuries.

However, health risks have become an issue, according to the Ministry of Education.

"Concerns have been raised over toxic chemicals used in the artificial turf and their impact on children's health," a ministry official surnamed Lee said. "It was also expensive to maintain the artificial grass, the lifecycle of which was between seven and eight years, and it required endless maintenance."

The ministry stopped its financial support in 2012.

Last year, the ministry conducted a national investigation and found 174 out of 1,037 schoolyards had at least one of 11 toxic chemicals in its artificial grass, which was higher than permitted amounts. The toxic substances include lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chrome and benzopyrene.

At one school in Pohang, the amount of benzopyrene was 470 times higher than the permissible level, which is 1 milligram per kilogram.

Following the investigation, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education ended its support for artificial turf. Last year, it paid all the expenses to have 11 schools in the city remove their artificial grass, after the ministry's study showed that the artificial turf at the schools was found to contain the toxic substances. It will continue to pay for schools up to 200 million won to remove the turf.

"It will take time because we work with a limited amount of resources," said an official from the Busan office, "but we'll get it done."

Last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also started recommending schools opt for dirt playgrounds.


학교에서 인조잔디 '퇴출'…이제는 흙운동장으로

2000년대 초·중반 '학교운동장 선진화 사업'이란 이름으로 학교 운동장에 인조잔디가 깔리기 시작했다.

겨울이면 흙먼지가 날리고, 여름이면 질퍽거리던 운동장에 푸른 잔디가 깔리자 학생들은 환호했다. 교사와 학부모들도 인조잔디를 학교의 자랑거리로 삼았다.

당시 경쟁하듯 설치했던 인조잔디가 10여년이 지난 지금은 애물단지로 전락하고 있다.

인체에 해로운 납 등 각종 중금속이 기준치 이상으로 검출되는가 하면 내구연한이 지나면서 곳곳이 패고 유해성 미세먼지가 발생하고 있기 때문이다.

부산시교육청이 유해성 논란을 빚는 인조잔디를 학교에서 퇴출시키기로 했다.

시교육청은 인조잔디를 이전의 흙(마사토)운동장으로 전환할 경우 학교당 2억원 상당의 사업비 전액을 지원하기로 했다고 28일 밝혔다.

다음 달 13일까지 운동장 개·보수 신청을 받을 계획이다.

신청 대상은 '학교운동장 선전화 사업'이 진행된 2000년부터 2009년까지 인조잔디로 운동장을 조성한 54개 학교다. 2009년으로 한정한 것은 2010년에 인조잔디 유해성 기준이 마련돼 2010년 이후 설치된 인조잔디 운동장은 그나마 안전하다고 보기 때문이다.

교육청은 운동장 개·보수 원칙을 흙운동장으로 전환하는 것을 전제로 했다.

다만, 축구·하키 등 운동부가 있는 학교의 경우 인조잔디로 다시 깔 수 있도록 했다. 이 때는 개·보수 사업비 중 15% 이상은 학교발전기금, 시설사용적립금 등으로 학교 자체에서 조달하도록 했다.

교육청은 올해 운동장 개·보수 사업은 납 등 중금속이 검출된 11개 학교를 대상으로 우선 하기로 했다.

국민체육진흥공단이 2014년 7월부터 11월 사이 인조잔디 유해성 조사를 벌인 결과 부산에서는 9개 학교에서 중금속인 납(Pb)이 기준치(90㎎/kg) 이상 검출됐다.

또 2개 학교에서는 다환방향성탄화수소(PAHs)가 기준치(10㎎/kg)를 초과해 검출됐다.

납은 유아·어린이에게는 신경 행동학적 이상과 발달장애, 성인에게는 혈액이상, 독성 신장 종양 등을 일으키고, 다환방향성탄화수소는 발암물질로 알려져 있다. 

 

교육청은 이들 11개 학교에 대해 개·보수 이전까지 운동장 사용 자제를 당부해 놓은 상태다.

안연균 부산시교육청 건강생활과장은 '11개 학교 가운데 운동부가 없는 6개 학교는 모두 흙운동장으로 바꿀 계획'이라며 '해당 학교와 학부모들도 이전의 흙운동장을 선호하고 있다'고 말했다.

부산환경운동연합 최수영 사무처장은 '국내에서는 아직 인조잔디에 의한 질병발병 등 공식적인 자료는 없지만 학교현장에서는 두통, 피부발진 등의 사례가 적지 않게 발생하고 있다'며 '부산교육청의 인조잔디 퇴출사업은 환영할 만 것이다'고 말했다. (연합뉴스)
Emailskim@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter









 
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