info@ehhi.org

Research Areas

EHHI's Comments on Synthetic Turf

Synthetic Turf

Click photo to enlarge.

Synthetic turf materials are often made from plastic and ground up rubber tires.

Above: Rubber tire pellets lie between 'blades' of synthetic turf. Below: Rubber tire pellets gathered from synthetic turf field.

Synthetic Turf

Click photo to enlarge.

Organic Grass Turf

- We know that organic grass fields are a safe and healthy place for children to play.

- We know that grass and trees have the ability to cool down an area from heat.

Synthetic Turf

- We know that some synthetic turf materials are made out of plastic and ground up rubber tires -- both of which tend to absorb heat and get much hotter than the air around them. Instead of cooling off an area - as would happen with grass - the plastic and ground up tires cause the synthetic fields to get hotter than the outside air temperature.

- We know that what little testing has been done on synthetic fields shows that some synthetic turf has 7 to 8 times higher levels of some carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) than is allowed by government standards.

- We know that the testing that has been done on some synthetic turf shows that it contains lead, arsenic and zinc.

- We know that some synthetic turf is treated with various anti-microbials, which also have their set of health issues.

- We know that there has not been enough testing or public health evaluation studies on synthetic turf fields to determine whether some of them pose a health problem for children. There are many important public health questions that should be answered before these expensive synthetic fields are purchased and installed.

- We know that some of the wealthier communities in Connecticut are responding, in part to the pesticide ban on school grounds, by installing synthetic turf. Instead of providing healthy organic grass-turf for their students to play on, as was and is expected, some communities are responding to the promotions of synthetic turf companies. Citizens of some towns are encouraged to contribute money to help pay for the purchase and installation of the costly synthetic fields.

Until more is known, the precautionary principal should prevail. What we know now is that organic grass fields are both a safe and healthy place on which children can play.

 

© EHHI | 1191 Ridge Road North Haven, Connecticut 06473 | Phone: (203) 248-6582 | Fax: (203) 288-7571 | info@ehhi.org