Artificial turf: Something to be concerned about?
At first glance, Whittier College's installation of artificial turf on
its football field figured to update the facility and provide a
multitude of benefits for the college and its students.
Apparently, not everyone agrees, nor is happy about the
"improvement."
There is a feeling among some members of the community that the
artificial turf poses a threat to health due to the chemical makeup of
the paint used to color the "blades" (grass), and the recycled tires
used in making the rubber crumbs that help cushion the field.
Listed in an email from "Ivanosokin7" as potential problems for
athletes performing on the surface are being "abnormally dehydrated,
suffer heat exhaustion, cramps, and worse, be burned." Also included are
"inhaling and absorbing pollutants which also will be washed into the
soil and ground water and be blown through the air."
Apparently the naysayers choose not to give much, if any, credibility
to a report on artificial turf fields released July 30 by the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that concludes young children,
as well as all athletes that use these fields, are not at risk from
exposure to lead in these fields.
However, the report also acknowledged that lead present in pigments
of some synthetic turf products gives the turf its various colors and
that conditions (age, weathering, exposure to sunlight, and wear and
tear) might change the amount of lead that could be released from the
turf. Use and exposed over time to sunlight, heat and other weather
conditions, the surface of the turf may start to become worn and small
particles of the lead-containing synthetic grass fibers might be
released.
The CPSC staff evaluation showed that newer fields had no lead or
generally had the lowest lead levels. Although small amounts of lead
were detected on the surface of some older fields, none of these tested
fields released amounts of lead that would be harmful to children.
And while the evaluation found no harmful lead levels, as a way of
addressing any future production of synthetic turf, and to set standards
for any newcomers to the manufacture of the product, the CPSC is asking
that voluntary standards be set.
Anybody out there had any discomforting experiences while playing on
artificial turf, other than the heat that radiates from the surface
everyone talks about?
12 Comments
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About this blog
Roger Murray is the prep sports editor for the Whittier Daily News.
Most recent generations of artificial turf have underdone strict environmental testing to include lead and mercury. The issue of lead mostly resides in the rubber crumb infill that could be found in older versions of synthetic grass. Now you have the option of various sand infill or none at all.
There are lead free artificial turf products available on the market today........as long as the school chooses one of those options, then it should be fine.
from the looks of things ER should get some turf because it doenst look like the school will be able to pay for the upkeep of the grass. take that money and pay your teachers ER!!!
Yo, elrancho; No question artificial turf is not perfect, but these days, not meaning in any way to belittle health concerns, sometimes alternative solutions are worth considering. Personally, like you, I think football, and I include baseball, soccer, field hockey, in fact any sport played outdoors on a field, should be done so on real grass.
Yo, Max Gettens: Well said.
You are embarrased?? Quit being a little girl....There is no skepticism on my part, field turf burns like no other on a hot day, and you get those dam black rubber particles in your eyes and for some reason its feels harder to breathe. Give me some grass or a muddy field any day so I can play the way football has been played since its inception.
Elrancho, you've got to have an open mind about this revolutionizing industry. As a local football and soccer player and a parent of children who have experienced the positives of artificial turf first hand I must say that I am rather embarrassed when I read posting like this. Instead of listening to the facts and understanding the story people have proven that they are unable to listen to reason. Instead we are left to read angry letters overridden with negative and immature tones. I have one message to all of those out there who continue to try and keep me and my friends from playing on the fieldturf fields. GET OVER YOURSELVES. The CPSC wouldn’t allow us to use these products if they deemed them dangerous! Come on now. The fields have been deemed safe by a major, federal organization and that is good enough for me. I even read that Mr. Fields, the head of fieldturf even offered to pay for nation wide testing to prove how safe they are. In the end, when all the smoke has settled, and all those who have tried to make a career off of selling fear are proven wrong, the only ones who will have truly suffered will be us, the athletes and our children who have been kept from playing the sports that we love on a fieldturf that gives us what we need year round. We must put an end to such skepticism.
Football has been played on grass for over 80 years, why do we all of a sudden need to play on turf. Turf is for pretty boys, lets get dirty on that field.
I went to a Coaches Clinic last year in Santa Clarita and Drills were held on a "turf" Field, the temp outside was 100+, the temp on the field was at least 110+, the field was so hot my feet were burning with athletic shoes on. I could see how it could lead to "abnormal dehydration".
I feel most schools can't keep up with the demands of real turf. This leads to large areas or dirt (dust in lungs) and uneven playing field with lumpy grass and small holes leading ankle, knee injuries and other foot related issues..
Yo, elrancho: Perhaps, but the rising costs of maintance, and the deterioration from wear and tear from over use (football plus soccer and p.e. classes) that turns lush green fields at school's start into patches of brown and rut-filled by mid-season understandedly are areas of concern for school admininstrators.
Football is supposed to be played on grass!!!!!!