Are ice rinks toxic?

Poor indoor air quality in indoor ice rinks can cause potentially dangerous health hazards to the occupants from exposure to carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. These pollutants are released from fuel burning equipment such as ice resurfacing equipment that are operated indoors.

What chemicals are used in ice rinks?

Anhydrous ammonia compressed into a liquid form is commonly used in mechanical refrigeration systems for indoor ice rinks and other facilities. It becomes a gas when released into the ambient air.

What is the pollution in ice rinks?

Resurfacers and edgers (commonly called by the brand name Zamboni), used to keep the ice nice and fresh, are typically propelled by propane or natural gas engines. These emit air pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), both of which can be bad for our health.

Are ice rinks fake ice?

There are two types of ice rinks in prevalent use today: natural ice rinks, where freezing occurs from cold ambient temperatures, and artificial ice rinks (or mechanically frozen), where a coolant produces cold temperatures in the surface below the water, causing the water to freeze.

Are ice rinks eco friendly?

Traditional ice rinks consume large amounts of electricity and water, with refrigeration systems running round the clock to keep the ice frozen. Moreover, hockey equipment, ranging from pads to sticks, often incorporates materials that are not environmentally friendly.

Evgenia Medvedeva || Toxic

Are ice rinks made of plastic?

The most apparent difference between synthetic and natural ice rinks is that the latter is made of frozen water, whereas the former is made of plastic polymers. Natural ice rinks require constant maintenance to keep them smooth and safe for skaters, including regular resurfacing to fix cracks and chips.

Why do ice rinks not melt?

How does an ice rink stay frozen? The most common method of refrigeration used in keeping an ice rink frozen is an indirect refrigeration system. This is where a liquid refrigerant (often ammonia) absorbs heat from a secondary liquid (often brine) which has absorbed heat from the source.

Can you skate on dry ice?

Yes, it is possible to skate on dry ice because as the pressure on dry ice increases it becomes more solid instead of liquid.

How deep is the ice at ice rinks?

Ice Hockey Rink Thickness

The NHL has specific rules about hockey rink dimensions and ice thickness. Each rink is 200 feet by 85 feet and uses ice that typically is 3/4 of an inch or 0.75" thick, which equates to 19.05 millimeters or 1.905 centimeters.

Are ice rinks always frozen?

Natural ice rinks, like frozen lakes, depend on cold weather. But some artificial rinks have special cooling technologies that allow you to skate on them even when the temperature is above zero degrees Celsius. Some of these specialized technologies rely on gases to provide heating or cooling properties.

What are the problems with ice rinks?

Ice rinks generate a lot of moisture. That leads to rust, corrosion, mold, and mildew. All can be harmful to the health of everyone, not to mention the longevity of doors, frames, and partitions.

Why do ice rinks smell?

Though “rink stink” is a joke amongst teammates, it's caused by something much more serious – bacteria – , which can also damage your equipment and cause harmful health problems.

How do they clean ice rinks?

The Zamboni cleans and renews the icy surface of hockey and skating rinks. If you've ever seen an ice rink after hockey players or ice skaters have torn up the ice with their sharp blades, you'll appreciate how quickly a Zamboni can return that icy surface to its original, pristine condition.

What is underneath an ice rink?

Underneath a hockey rink is cement, followed by a piping system designed to keep the ice stable and cold. This is how you can have a great ice surface in the middle of summer, or in southern states of the US. Above this they layer and paint the ice, giving it that familiar crisp white with red and blue lines.

What is the floor of an ice rink made of?

Ice rink rubber flooring is elastic flooring typically made of synthetic rubber EPDM. This type of flooring is highly durable and is available in several material combinations. Ice rink rubber flooring is resistant to abrasion from ice skates and heavy loads.

How cold are most ice rinks?

Most ice rinks will keep the air temperature at a brisk 55-65 degrees and the on-ice temperature between 17 and 29 degrees. This temperature can affect how you skate, how often you cut your steel and what hollow or profile you choose.

Is ice Harder Than concrete?

Falling on ice skates means you'll be hitting solid ice. That ice can be harder than concrete and can fracture bones.

Why is the ice rink wet?

Outdoor ice rinks are subject to the elements and due to rain, unseasonably warm weather, high winds or a combination of these weather conditions, the surface of the ice rink can develop a layer of water. It is not unsafe to skate on a wet rink, just more uncomfortable if you fall and get wet.

Is white ice safe to skate on?

General Ice Thickness Guidelines

Ice is never 100% safe! White ice or “snow ice” is only about half as strong as new clear ice. PLEASE NOTE: These thicknesses are merely guidelines for new, clear, solid ice. Many factors other than thickness can cause ice to be unsafe.

At what temperature can you not ice skate?

My physics are a bit rusty, but you need a thin layer of liquid water atop the ice to be able to skate. -30 degrees is too cold for that to happen.

Is it safe to skate on thin ice?

Police warn the public that ice on open water should be at least 15 cm thick for a person to walk or skate on and at least 20 cm thick for groups of people; a thickness of 25 cm is required for safe snowmobiling or using off-highway vehicles on.

Why is rink ice white?

Along with painting red and blue lines to indicate different play areas, white paint is used to color the entire ice surface. This is done to allow players to have better visibility of the puck on the ice.

How are ice rinks drained?

The ice in an ice hockey rink is only removed when the regular season and playoffs are finished. When it's time to get rid of the ice, the brinewater is warmed and circulated under the ice to begin the melting process. Once the ice has melted sufficiently, it is then broken up and carted off by front end loaders.

Do ice skates glide on water?

Ice skating works because metal skate blades glide with very little friction over a thin layer of water on the ice surface. At one time, scientists thought skaters created the water layer by melting the surface layers of ice through the pressure of their body weight.