Home About Links Reports News Legislation Contact Us Donate

Research Areas

• Childhood Obesity
• Cancer
• Vehicle Exhaust
• Pesticides
• Asthma
• School Environments
• Wood Smoke
• Pressure Treated Wood
• Synthetic Turf
• Plastics
• The LEED Debate

News & Updates

• EHHI eJournal

Synthetic Turf

EHHI Editorial: Incomplete study dubs rubber turf free of lead

Tuesday, August 05, 2008 - The  story being told in response to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission declaring synthetic turf fields are safe because they do not contain lead, is extremely misleading. This declaration of "safety" is misinforming the public about what the potential risks from synthetic turf really are.

Environment and Human Health Inc. remains as concerned as ever about the synthetic turf fields that are being installed by schools and towns all across the United States.

The organization is a nine-member, nonprofit group composed of physicians, public health professionals and policy experts dedicated to protecting human health from environmental harms through research, education and improved public policy. The group is supported by foundations and receives no funding from businesses or corporations.

When we researched the health issues presented by synthetic turf fields, we looked at the ground-up rubber tire in-fill that is a major component. The in-fill is made of used rubber tires. Some states considered used rubber tires a "hazardous" waste. Other states considered it a "special" waste.

When the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission tested the fields, they only tested the plastic or nylon fake grass for lead. Not finding lead in their extremely small sampling of fields, the commission then declared all fields safe. It never even looked at the ground-up rubber tire in-fill for its health risks, which remain an enormous worry.

Unbiased research
When the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station tested the ground-up rubber tire in-fill they found the following five compounds:

• Benzothiazole: Skin and eye irritation, harmful if swallowed.
• Butylated hydroxyanisole: Recognized carcinogen.
• Hexadecane: Severe irritant based on human and animal studies.
• 4-T-octyl) phenol: Corrosive and destructive to mucous membranes.
• Zinc: A large amount of zinc is added in the manufacturing of tires, therefore there is a great deal of zinc in ground-up rubber tire in-fill.

Besides those chemicals, rubber tires often contain:

• Benzene: Carcinogen.
• Phtalates: Suspected developmental toxicant.
• PAHs: Suspected cardiovascular or blood toxicant.
• Maganese: Gastrointestinal or liver toxicant.
• Carbon Black: Carcinogen.
• Latex: Causes allergic reactions in some people.

Saying these fields are now safe because they do not contain lead is like saying that diesel exhaust is safe because it does not contain lead - or cigarettes are safe because they don't contain lead.

Neither of course is true.

Nancy Alderman is president of the North Haven-based Environment and Human Health Inc. organization.

Synthetic Turf

• Synthetic Turf Home
• Recent Artificial Turf Study Shows Carcinogens and Toxins in Synthetic Turf Fields
• Connecticut's Artificial Turf Study's Risk Estimates Were Modified to Avoid Alarming the Public warns Environment and Human Health, Inc.
• Toxic mulch means White House play area not fun and games
• EHHI Editorial: Incomplete study dubs rubber turf free of lead
• EHHI's evaluation of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (USCPSC) testing for lead on synthetic turf fields.
• Press Release: "Rubber Mulch" a Danger for Gardens and perhaps even People
• Press Release: EHHI Releases Original Research Report - Exposures to Recycled Tire Crumbs used on Synthetic Turf Fields, Playgrounds and as Gardening Mulch
• EHHI's Comments on Synthetic Turf
• Press Release: Moratorium on new synthetic fields recommended until testing has been completed.

Report

Exposures to Recycled Tire Crumbs used on Synthetic Turf Fields, Playgrounds and as Gardening Mulch

News & Links

• Fawcett Will Seek Moratorium on New Synthetic Turf Fields
• DeLauro Takes CPSC to Task on Findings in Hastily Compiled and Flawed Report
• DeLauro Continues to Press EPA for Thorough Investigation of Potential Health Risks of Synthetic Turf
• Park signs give only tepid warning on hot synthetic turf
• Stamford High Astroturf Field Closed
• EPA to investigate lead threat from artificial turfs
• DeLauro asks EPA study on fake turf
• DeLauro, Blumenthal Press for Examination of Potential Health Risks of Synthetic Turf Fields Call for EPA Investigation Citing CT Ag Experiment Station Study
• Turf wars rage over fake grass