Organic Fields Pay Off

With safety of Branford, CT's young athletes as its top priority, Parks Director Alex Palluzzi Jr. and his dedicated staff have found a way to save tax dollars, reduce toxic run-off, and still provide a place for tackling, catching, and romping for kids of all ages. The Parks Department has been focusing on an organic maintenance program that saw immediate benefits in cost, reduced pesticide use, and keeping the fields thicker, fuller, and safer. Not only is the department fine-tuning the organic experiment, it’s also keeping the heavily used parcels in shape, which is no easy task. “These are all purpose fields; they are in constant use by every sport. They need constant work,” said Palluzzi. “That is why the organics has been such a benefit. It has really had a dramatic difference in our ability to keep the fields safe. (The Sound, click here)

Burlingame synthetic turf field needs early replacement

San Mateo Daily Journal reports that the San Mateo Union High School District is already looking at replacing the Burlingame High School artificial surface, which was installed only eight years ago. Normally rated at 10 to 12 years, McManus said the heavy traffic — from football to soccer to lacrosse — has worn out the carpet prematurely. Click here.

Synthetic Turf Wearing Out Early

Sunday, January 11, 2009Pine-Richland's stadium has been used so much since it opened in 2001 that its artificial turf is wearing out.The cost of replacing it -- which could be $300,000 to $400,000 or more -- was the topic of discussion Tuesday at Pine-Richland school board's planning meeting. No action was taken as board members debated how the cost fit in with the district's capital improvements plan and the 2009-10 operating budget.Superintendent James C. Manley said the artificial turf has become rippled and worn to the point that it is a safety concern. He noted that a rubberized mat and drainage system beneath the turf would not need to be replaced.The turf had a 10-year warranty for "normal" use, but the field is heavily used for a variety of sports and activities, including football, lacrosse, physical education classes, graduation and band, Director Kevin Nigh said. The company with which the school had a 10-year warranty is out of business now, he added. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, click here.

San Jose Unified votes against plans for synthetic turf field at Trace Elementary School

(Redwood City) After hearing from dozens of parents concerned that synthetic turf may contain harmful toxins and can be too hot for children to play on, San Jose Unified trustees voted Thursday evening against plans to replace the current grass field at Trace Elementary School with synthetic turf.
"After much deliberation, I've decided not to approve it," said Garcia, who represents Trace and the Rose Garden neighborhood. "So much of my community is against it at this time."
The grass-roots victory left Trace parents jubilant. For months, they have been meeting at Starbucks, researching turf safety studies online, lobbying board members and putting together a "Parents for Real Grass" Web site, www.tracetigers.org. Mercury News, click here.

In fake grass, some see real threat

For two decades, state public health officials have waged a massive campaign to eliminate children's exposure to lead, yet some specialists are concerned that the toxic element may have found its way into schools in the form of artificial turf fields.

While industry officials maintain the fields are safe, the Boston Globe recently commissioned tests of artificial grass at several city and suburban high schools in Massachusetts and found varying amounts of lead in the artificial surfaces. Click here.

San Carlos City Council to Vote on Artificial Turf

Please speak out against artificial turf at the San Carlos City Council meeting Monday January 12, at 7pm in council chambers.
Write the council members now to make your voice heard (see Things You Can Do sidebar on right for email addresses). Given the evidence of toxic exposure, the lawsuit filed by the State of California's Attorney General, and the current financial crisis, going forward with a plastic field is irresponsible and reckless.

Hidden Hazards • State agencies agree to take a close look at the health and environmental issues of "crumb rubber"

January 12, 2009
For years, the federal government has tended to dismiss concerns about the health and environmental issues raised by artificial turf. We're hopeful a recently announced joint study involving four Connecticut agencies will bring long-needed focus and light to the subject.Last summer, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a report examining the potential health threat from the pigment that gives artificial turf its everlasting green. Tests revealed the presence of lead (a nerve toxin) on some turf, but the study concludes "consumers should not be concerned about using these fields."But lead is only one concern. Artificial turf uses "crumb rubber" from shredded tires for its cushioning effect and to hold the "grass" upright. The rubber is also sold as mulch. A study by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station last year found summer temperatures cause the rubber to release vapors, including one that's a known carcinogen. Other chemicals have been linked to asthma, eye and skin irritations.The state study also found that heavy metals — lead, zinc, cadmium and selenium — can leach from the rubber into water.
The new state-sponsored study will involve the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Public Health, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and the University of Connecticut Health Center. The health department will issue a full health risk assessment by Jan. 31 of next year. (Hartford Courant, click here)

Cancer-Causing Materials Found in School Turf in South Korea

Artificial turf, manufactured and installed worldwide, has become a danger to children around the globe. Substances that can cause cancer have been found in artificial turf at schools in South Korea. According to an environmental group in Gyeonggi Province, Monday, a large amount of poisonous metals and other harmful materials were found in man-made lawns in the playgrounds of three schools inspected at the beginning of this month. The environmental group said one of the three schools had 290㎎ of lead in its artificial lawn, three times more than the allowed figure of 90㎎, and other two schools had 46.7㎎ and 810㎎ of polyaromatic hydrocarbon, which includes Beazopyrene, respectively. Heavy metals such as lead can cause health problems when swallowed or inhaled. At very high levels they can cause seizures, comas and even death. Beazopyrene ㅡ more than 10㎎ of which is dangerous ㅡ is a product of incomplete combustion that can cause skin cancer. (The Korea Times, click here)

Lead found in artificial turf at Texas prep stadiums

Some of the most hallowed ground in Texas — the artificial turf on its high school football fields — may also be toxic.
Fields in two of the state's best-known high school stadiums, including the one made famous by the book and movie "Friday Night Lights," have lead levels far exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency's standard for soil, according to independent tests done within the last month.
(Associated Press, click here)

Lead in turf shuts East Harlem field

12/22 An East Harlem soccer field has been closed after elevated lead levels were detected in the synthetic turf installed five years ago, park officials said Monday. While the source of the lead contamination has not been confirmed, park advocates suggest the lead contamination may be due to the city's use of a type of synthetic turf that includes a cushion of pulverized tires, known as crumb-rubber infill. (NY Daily News, click here)

San Jose unifed delays decision on artificial turf after parents complain

Safety concerns about new synthetic turf on a San Jose elementary school playing field could mean at least one local campus will keep real grass.The San Jose Unified School District board delayed a decision on Dec. 11 about installing turf at Trace Elementary School — the most recent campus targeted for the artificial turf — after many Rose Garden neighborhood parents from Trace said they wanted to keep ordinary grass on the field. The trustees said they would review information about the turf and revisit it at their Jan. 22 meeting. (Mercury News, click here)

Turf field in Redwood City needs $905,447 upgrade before warrantee ends

Hoover Park's plastic grass field has deteriorated faster than expected.With two years still left on the warranty from its installation in 2002, the turf company offered the city a discounted upgrade to a new-and-improved turf product that it says is more durable...at a "discounted" price of $905,447! The city said it circumvented a competitive bidding process for the project, which is usually required by state law, because Oregon-based FieldTurf's discounted price of about 40 percent off was not available from other suppliers.Is this really what we want in San Carlos parks? (Mercury News, click here)

McFadden has learned turf toe is not to be taken lightly

Turf toe, a relatively common sports injury, is the spraining or tearing of the ligaments and tendons at the base of the big toe. It typically afflicts athletes who play on hard surfaces such as a soccer or football field, usually artificial turf. The injury results from the toe sinking into the turf while the foot is planted, and then extending up too far when the player pushes off or jumps.Such an injury can lead to instability and even dislocation of the joint, as well as accelerated cartilage wear and arthritis in the affected area. (Mercury News, click here.)

Proposed playing field at San Jose school prompts turf battle among parents

A core group of parents at Trace Elementary, the arts magnet school serving 800 K-5 students, are opposed to plans by the San Jose Unified School District to replace the grass and dirt fields with synthetic turf. Click here.

Synthetic Turf Field Falling Apart, Only Halfway Through Expected Life

Because synthetic fields are relatively new, their durability is questionable. The Duluth Schools Stadium is suffering excessive wear and tear, ripping on the painted lines. Click here.

Synthetic Turf Requires Regular Application of Disinfectant

This article discusses the risk of staph infection and MRSA from synthetic turf, concluding that regular treatment for bacteria must be part of the maintenance cost. Click here.
"...Not only must sports field managers learn how to maintain synthetic turf that often receive 5-10 times more activity than turfgrass fields, they're also charged with making the decision or asked their opinion of whether or not to treat synthetic fields with a product to kill bacteria.
Providing safe conditions for the athletes that use their facilities is their number one responsibility, after all.
This has been a tough call for them in light of budget pressures and exaggerated expectations of maintenance cost savings associated with synthetic turf fields.Adding to the difficulty of deciding whether or not to treat is uncertainty about the relative risk of contracting a staph infection (including the more serious MSRA) on synthetic fields.
Even so, increasing numbers of professional teams and universities, in particular, have decided that the risk, whatever it is, is too great to ignore. In almost all cases, they treat all the surfaces that athletes come in contact with — both inside and outside as staph can be carried from one surface to another.
These high-profile and well-funded programs generally contract a professional service that applies a product specifically formulated to kill bacteria."

No: It's not 'for the children'

Seattle resident Jim Anderson speaks out against a proposed levy on the November Ballot for synthetic turf. An excerpt: "They say "we just need $10 million for these wonderful permanent plastic (and potentially toxic) fields!" and hide the need to replace them in 10 to 15 years, at twice the price with no plan for funding.
This is truly "budgeting by the hopeful." With no provision of even planning for future needs, this patchwork hodgepodge of patronage and pork is the worst way to fund public needs, particularly in the midst of a near economic collapse. Vote no on Proposition 2. " Click here.

SenateBill 1277 Passes, Requires Health Study on Synthetic Turf

Senator Maldonado's SB 1277 was signed into law, requiring, on or before September 1, 2010, theIntegrated Waste Management Board, in consultation with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and the State Department of Public Health, to prepare and provide to the Legislature and post on the board's Internet Web site a study on the effects of synthetic turf and natural turf on the environment and public health. Click here.

Town faces mounting costs for damaged synthetic field

Brookfield High School's new stadium may never see a football game this fall, after months of negotiations to repair its faulty synthetic field ...the town has documented that there are 120 seams that have burst apart. "It looks like a jigsaw puzzle." CCA of Brookfield, an engineering firm, conducted a study of the field last week. Mr. Silvaggi said in a phone interview Monday that, under a tentative agreement, the total cost would be $450,000... Grass doesn't split at the seams. Click here.

Traces of lead sideline school's synthetic turf field

Portland, Oregon Public Schools is limiting access to an artificial turf field often used by elementary school students after district tests showed levels of lead above some national recommendations.
Rieke Elementary School students won't be able to use the field next to their building during the school day. And Portland Parks and Recreation will also limit some of its programs on the field. Click here.

Study Finds Lead in Synthetic Turf Can Be Absorbed into Gastric Fluids

Adding to the growing concerns over the health risks posed by lead and other chemicals in synthetic turf materials, a new study by researchers at the UMDNJ-School of Public Health finds that when children or athletes ingest the tiny rubber granules in synthetic turf, it is likely that a significant portion of the lead in the granules will be absorbed by their bodies’ gastric fluids. Click here.

Suits filed over lead in artificial turf

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:
Six artificial-turf companies are breaking state law by not warning the public of exposure to dangerous amounts of lead from the fake green grass, according to two separate lawsuits filed Tuesday by the California attorney general and an environmental group.

The suits, designed to stop the sale of any new turf manufactured with lead, say the toxic metal gets on the hands and bodies of children and adults who play on synthetic grass found at athletic fields, public schools, parks, day care centers and residences.

Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, requires warning of exposure to an unsafe level of a chemical that can cause cancer or birth defects. Lead is a carcinogen and can cause neurological damage, says the lawsuit filed in Alameda Superior Court.
"The goal is to get the lead out of the California pipeline so it's not being sold in the state," said Dennis Ragen, the deputy attorney general handling the case for the state. Click here.

Synthetic turf study said to be dangerously deceptive

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today called on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to immediately remove and revise a report on its website that may dangerously and deceptively mislead citizens into believing that artificial turf has been proven safe.Blumenthal said the CPSC relied on a grossly inadequate and badly flawed study in declaring synthetic turf safe to install and play on -- focusing narrowly and insufficiently on lead, while failing to examine several other possible chemicals and concerns. In a letter to CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Ann Nord, Blumenthal said the CPSC’s claims -- based on such a “crudely cursory study” -- may dangerously deceive municipal and state leaders nationwide about the safety of synthetic turf.For the sake of public health and safety, Blumenthal said the CPSC has a moral and possibly legal obligation to immediately remove and revise its synthetic turf report from its website.“This report and release are as deceptive as some of the advertising and marketing of consumer products prosecuted by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general,” Blumenthal said.“There is a clear and present danger that municipal and state decision makers -- as well as parents and citizens -- will rely on this unconscionably deficient report. It is replete with unsound scientific methodology and conclusions, and unreliable findings. It may lead to unsupportable and unwise commitments by towns and cities or their boards of education to build or replace athletic fields. Click here.

New York's Ridgewood Reservoir fighting artificial turf

Communities in New York city are striving to preserve the unique natural habitats of Ridgewood Reservoir, fighting the replacement of scarce environmental resources with heat-magnifying artificial turf. Click here.

International soccer competitors dread plastic turf

WALES stars have been handed a stark warning over the plastic perils they could face in their World Cup mission in Moscow.
John Toshack’s team were last night told their qualifying clash with Russia could be switched to the artificial turf at the Luzhniki Stadium.
“I’ve played on that pitch,” said Smertin, a team-mate of Wales midfielder Simon Davies at Fulham. “What’s it like? It’s rubbish! I played there two or three times last year with Dinamo Moscow and, to be honest, it’s not so good.
“In fact it’s quite dangerous because it’s different, your feet stick, you can’t turn quickly and you can’t turn properly as you run."
And one of the Bhoys who featured in that game last August, John Kennedy, admitted: “That pitch is nothing like grass and there is no way international football should be played on it. You think the ball is going to bounce truly in front of you, and it spins away. At other times you think the ball is spinning and it takes a dead bounce. A lot of the boys came off the field with sore backs and joints. It is a difficult surface to play on and it can make you look daft because bounces are almost impossible to judge.” Click here.

Fake turf heat alert

After a decade of installing artificial turf, the city’s Parks Department is finally acknowledging what’s long been known: Fake grass get hot.
One study cited by the Health Department in a recent report on the turf said, “At temperatures above 120 degrees, it only takes 3 seconds to burn a child’s skin severely enough to require surgery.”
One day last month, the artificial turf at Brooklyn’s Cadman Plaza was 165.5 degrees, while a nearby plot of grass measured just 83 degrees. Waves of heat rose from the field.
“It’s outrageous,” said Josh Srebnick, a pediatric neuropsychologist who was playing with his five-year-old son, Jake. Click here.

Another high school turf field closed due to Lead levels levels more than 10 times state standards

July 2, 2008
The Hasbrouck Heights school district has closed an artificial turf playing field after discovering above-normal levels of lead in the surfacing, the schools superintendent said today.
Hitchcock Field, behind Hasbrouck Heights High School, is the seventh artificial turf field in North Jersey to close as a result of elevated lead levels. Click here.

Artificial Turf Makers Face Lawsuits over Lead Contamination

Jun 23, 2008
Just days after the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended testing some types of artificial turf for lead, an environmental advocacy group is issuing its own warning. The non-profit Center for Environmental Health has also threatened to take legal action against some of the biggest manufacturers and sellers of artificial turf unless they remove lead from their products. Tests by an independent lab showed excessive lead in indoor/outdoor carpeting, artificial lawns and playground grass made with nylon and polyethylene, said Charles Margulis, a spokesman for the center.
A subsequent test showed lead could be wiped off turf with a cloth or a child's hand. Click here.

Web MD posts warning for parents: Artificial Turf May Contain Lead

Referencing the official CDC Health Advisory issued June 18, Dr. Greene of WebMD warns parents of hazards and precautions to take if their children play on artificial turf. Click here.

CDC calls for lead tests on some turf

TRENTON, N.J. — The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that some artificial turf athletic fields be tested for lead.
Two months ago, New Jersey health officials found high lead levels in turf fibers of three athletic fields. Subsequent tests showed the lead found in the turf can be absorbed by humans. Click here.

Parks' fake grass can reach a scorching 162 degrees

It's like walking on hot coals.
Artificial turf installed in city fields can heat up to a blistering 162 degrees even on a mild summer day, a New York Daily News investigation has found. Temperatures at the synthetic fields soared roughly twice as high as at nearby natural grass ones. Click here.

S.F. debating artificial turf on playgrounds

(06-17) 20:20 PDT -- At a recent Synthetic Playfields Task Force meeting in San Francisco, resident Kellie Watts called the city's plan to install artificial turf in public playing fields the demonization of green fields. Watts compared synthetic turf makers to tobacco industry titans and asked task force members to resist the artificial surface that is being installed at a rate of about 1,000 fields per year in the United States. Click here.

N.J. Agency Releases Toxic Turf Report

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services released its findings of the latest tests conducted after several New Jersey schools were closed when lead was detected on artificial turf fields.
"Further laboratory testing has shown that lead can be dissolved from artificial turf fibers and turf field dust under conditions that simulate the human digestive process, leaving the lead available for the body to absorb," Health and Senior Services Commissioner Heather Howard said Tuesday. ..."Lead is known to harm children's health and neurologic development. These test results show there is reason for concern about the potential for lead exposure from artificial turf fields that contain lead." Click here.

Sports Columnist questions safety of artificial turf

Sitting in the catbird's seat
SUNDAY STEW June 1, 2008

BY RICK TELANDER Chicago Sun-Times Columnist

• • PARENTS ARE WORRIED about reports that some artificial-turf fields have possibly high levels of toxins such as lead in them.
Anybody who has a child who has played on one of the new turf fields, which uses ground-up tires to simulate dirt between the plastic grass blades, has seen the black rubber pellets that spill out of the child's socks and shoes and uniforms after games.
Maybe there's nothing to any of this. But the pellets can get in kids' eyes and ears and cuts.
When the Bears played an entire season on the University of Illinois turf in 2002, some linemen complained that the pellets got in their mouths during pileups.
New research has shown that there is a clear relationship between the level of lead in a child's blood and the likelihood he or she will have behavioral problems and, remarkably, be more likely to commit crimes as an adult.
It's not overreacting for adults to want to make sure kids play on surfaces that are not only convenient and easy to maintain, but safe beyond dispute. Click here.

Clorox announces "powerful disinfectant cleaner" for artificial turf

First adults are choosing artificial turf instead of grass and having children play on old rubber tires - then some are finding a need to put antimicrobials on the fields so that the children don't get sick - and now Clorox has just developed a product to put on the fields so that the artificial turf doesn't spread MRSA infections.
Perhaps it is time to rethink this issue instead of piling one exposure on top of another exposure as adults try to fix the original mistake. Click here for Clorox press release from today.

Pro soccer player Xavier refuses to play on Artificial Turf

The Galaxy play at Toronto FC today but defender Abel Xavier did not make the trip. The former Portuguese national team member does not play games on artificial turf because he said it bothers his knee. ...Call it one of the cultural differences between soccer and other sports.
Xavier said when he played at Toronto last season, it was the first time a field had something other than natural grass in his 20-year career.
"Yeah, I was shocked," Xavier said. "The question is why does the league allow it? I started having problems with my knee in Toronto (last year)."
Xavier, who played with Liverpool, Everton, Roma and Middlesbrough among others, said artificial turf should be banned by the MLS.
"If the league wanted to challenge to be the best, the turf is a big restriction," he said. Read more here.

San Francisco fights installation of synthetic fields

Read research and efforts by San Francisco citizens to stop installation of synthetic fields:
SF Parks, Friends of Potrero Hill

Environment & Human Health Inc. study recommends moratorium on synthetic fields

Crumb rubber used as infill carries with it health risks that are numerous, including acute irritation of the lungs, skin, and eyes, and chronic irritation of the lung, skin, and eyes. Knowledge is somewhat limited about the effects of semi-volatile chemicals on the kidney, endocrine system, nervous system, cardio vascular system, immune system, developmental effects and the potential to induce cancers.
There are still data gaps that need to be filled in and additional studies are warranted. Click here.

Turf wars rage over fake grass

Communities across the country are challenging the use of synthetic turf fields.
Bills in Minnesota, New Jersey and New York would bar the installation of additional artificial turf until those states complete health and environmental studies on the ground-up tires used for the increasingly popular surfaces. Bills in California and Connecticut call for studies to determine the health and environmental effects of synthetic turf. A proposal in New York City would rip out all the existing artificial fields as well as ban new ones. Click here.

Connecticut To Assign Artificial Turf Study

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal urged the state Department of Environmental Protection Monday that the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station be assigned to conduct a new study to determine the potential hazards posed by crumb rubber used in artificial turf and gardening mulch. Last year it investigated the toxic components of ground-up recycled vehicle tires that form the crumb rubber infill; that study and others around the world have positively identified toxic chemicals that can cause asthma, eye and skin irritations, cancer and a decline in plant growth and aquatic life. Click here.

Studies link lead to adult crime, brain damage

Exposure to lead in early childhood or in the womb can cause permanent brain damage that may even cause criminal behavior, researchers found.
Two studies showed that people with high levels of lead in childhood grew up with blocks of missing brain cells — and they also were far more likely to be arrested for crimes, especially violent crimes.
Will artificial turf join lead paint as a cause of brain damage and criminal behavior? Read about the study on MSNBC, click here.

Should Synthetic Turf Fields Display Warning Signs? Yes, according to Proposition 65

Proposition 65 requires businesses to notify Californians about significant amounts of chemicals in the products they purchase, in their homes or workplaces, or that are released into the environment. By providing this information, Proposition 65 enables Californians to make informed decisions about protecting themselves from exposure to these chemicals. Proposition 65 also prohibits California businesses from knowingly discharging significant amounts of listed chemicals into sources of drinking water. Click here.

A Resource For Turf Professionals In Deciding Between Artificial and Natural Turf

Natural grass is shown to be less costly to install and maintain, plus safer to play on and healthier for the environment than synthetic turf. Click here.

California Senate Passes SB 1277 Requiring Study of Health Effects of Synthetic Turf

On May 12, 2008, SB 1277 passed the California State Senate, requiring a study of the effects of synthetic turf and natural turf on the environment and public health. The bill now moves to the assembly. Click here.

Texas Football Player Succumbs to Virulent Staph Infection From Synthetic Turf

An abrasion caused by artificial turf is blamed for the death of a high school football player in Austin, Texas, according to a report by Bloomburg News. Click here.

The Truth about the Existence of Microbes in Synthetic Turf Systems

Turf disinfectant company TurfAide shows how harmful microbes, including MRSA bacteria, thrive in synthetic turf and why heat, water, etc. are not enough to disinfect it. Click here.

Serious Questions About New Generation Artificial Turf That Require Answers

While “fraud” is a highly charged word, some claims made by some artificial turf
companies may fall within the legal definition of that term, while other claims may only
be deceptive, over-statements, misstatements or misunderstandings.
The issues raised by the following questions are intended to assist in the decisionmaking
process by focusing on real and serious areas of concern. Click here.

Artificial turf: Health hazard? story in USA Today

The questions about new and old types of artificial turf have created ripples nationwide, prompting a federal investigation of artificial surfaces and raising anxiety among health and elected officials, some of whom want to ban new installations until government agencies study the potential health risks and environmental hazards. Click here.

Connecticut asks EPA study on fake turf

NEW HAVEN — U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro and state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal demanded Monday that the federal Environmental Protection Agency investigate cancer-causing chemicals and other possibly toxic compounds that waft out of synthetic athletic fields covered with granulated tires.
At issue are public health questions surrounding a crumb-rubber field in West Haven, an additional 30 similar fields in Connecticut, and about 3,500 of the surfaces nationwide. Click here.

California to Study Health Effects of Synthetic Turf

California State Senate Bill 1277, authored by Senator Abel Maldonado, mandates a study on the effects of synthetic turf and natural turf on the environment and public health. Click here.