New Paper: Minor influence of climbing hall characteristics on rubber-derived compound contamination highlights a need for material-level solutions
This new study by Anya Sherman, Laura Lotteraner and colleagues confirms previous results that abrasion from climbing shoe soles leads to elevated levels of rubber-derived compounds (RDCs) in indoor climbing halls.
While the previous study focused on few select climbing halls and found them to be a notable hotspot of potential exposure for both visitors and staff, this study compares more than 200 samples of settled dust and foothold powder from 41 facilities across 10 countries and confirms the widespread occurrence of RDCs in climbing halls.
While different halls showed distinct contamination patterns, hall design and operational features were only weakly linked to RDC levels. The findings indicate that meaningful risk reduction is unlikely to come from changes in hall management alone, and instead will require innovation in climbing shoe sole materials to replace substances of concern with safer, more sustainable alternatives.
