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CONSTANCE IN WISCONSIN ASKS:
Mom to two soccer players here. Our school district is considering artificial turf, which they play on at rival schools. I heard artificial turf can cause cancer. What else should I ask the school to use? Can anything be done to protect kids from artificial turf? I’m not asking my kids to quit soccer.
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MOM DETECTIVE ANSWERS:
Hi, Constance. Agreed: no kid should stop playing soccer if that’s their passion. Ever.
I’m not a fan of artificial turf. I’m a grass and real dirt sort of person (not sprayed with pesticides, of course). That’s what I’d ask my district for but have yet to tackle turf at my kids’ schools. To answer your questions with an insider angle, I’m pulling details from an artificial turf battle in Montclair, New Jersey. Hopefully Montclair’s struggle with artificial turf will educate you—and help you feel less alone.
Here goes: Basically, a group of parents (including my friend Anna Grossman) asked the school district to stop installation on a new artificial turf field on the grounds that it contains polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they linger in the environment and accumulate in our bodies. Yes, PFAS has been linked to cancer, as well as to other very serious health impacts, like decreased fertility, liver damage, thyroid problems, adverse birth outcomes, and more. Children, like your soccer players, are especially vulnerable to all these health concerns.
Montclair’s school district pushed back, saying the artificial turf they wanted to use meets New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) requirements and regulations. People who like synthetic turf claim it results in less athlete injuries and it’s cheaper to maintain. People who don’t like it debunk these statements. Despite putting up a serious fight, Anna and her group of concerned citizens lost. The district installed the artificial turf.
Anna has compiled a wealth of information on synthetic turf. I hope you sift through this detailed FAQ from Sustainable Montclair. Meanwhile, here are some answers to your specific questions.
What is artificial turf anyway?
Most artificial turf is plastic, a fossil fuel product, embedded in cushioning that keeps the fake grass standing up. Plastic—from manufacture to landfill—harms communities, especially those near production facilities. There’s no requirement for turf manufacturers to disclose proprietary chemicals used in the production of artificial turf. So anti–artificial turf activists like Anna often have to do their own research. She relied on scientists and nonprofit advocacy organizations to independently test products to try to protect Montclair’s kids. In hot weather, artificial turf can heat up to scorching temperatures, release unsafe gases (volatile organic compounds), and even burn players.
What’s artificial turf cushioning?
The plastic blades of grass are one concern, the cushioning another. It’s called infill, and most of what’s on the market is tire crumb, a.k.a. crumb rubber. This is literally reused old tires. I’m all for reuse, but tires should not be ground up for kids to play on because they can contain very toxic substances, including zinc, benzene, carbon black, and lead. The amount of lead in some synthetic turf fields in New Jersey was so high they had to be closed by the state’s Department of Health. Dr. Phil Landrigan, the pediatrician and environmental health advocate who helped get lead out of gasoline in the 1970s, put this into context: “This is extremely alarming since lead is a highly toxic chemical and brain injury is the most serious consequence of pediatric lead poisoning. Young children are especially vulnerable to lead because their brains are rapidly growing and developing… Even low-dose exposure to lead can cause loss of IQ, shortening of attention span and disruption of behavior as well as increased risk of dyslexia and school failure.”
Despite this danger—which has been confirmed by research on the safety of recycled tire crumb used on playing fields and playgrounds done by the EPA since 2016, in conjunction with the Consumer Product Safety Commission—artificial turf has not been banned.
As caregivers know, “black crumbs” from infill get picked up during games and travel on children’s shoes, uniforms, and hair, settling on the floors of our cars and our homes. While soccer is mostly played with feet, teams sit and stretch on the ground. Players do throw-ins. And goalies play especially close to artificial turf, constantly picking balls up. Infill crumbs can wind up in kids’ eyes, noses, and mouths when rubbed and get directly ingested with sideline snacks.
The risk to young soccer players
Health concerns related to artificial turf are well documented. This is why the Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center wrote a letter to Montclair Public Schools recommending they not install artificial turf. Beyond lead, some of the chemicals found in tire crumb are known or suspected carcinogens, others can disrupt hormones. We know the issues with PFAS in the plastic grass. Anecdotally, athletes—baseball as well as soccer players—are discussing the risks of artificial turf. In 2014, Ethan Zohn, a former professional soccer player and co-founder of Grassroot Soccer who was also on Survivor, compiled a list of more than 50 goalkeepers who have, like him, battled cancer. To be clear, a citizen-generated list is not a scientific study, but of course, it brings to mind questions about the safety of repeated exposure of players, coaches, and communities who live near manufacturing plants as well as sports fields.
What can parents do?
Synthetic turf is the world’s fastest-growing play surface. In 2020, the National Parks and Recreation Association estimated there were 13,000 synthetic turf sports fields with around 1,500 new installations each year, and expected these numbers to nearly double by 2025. Currently, there is no way to recycle artificial turf at the end of its useful life. It goes to landfills or other countries, my friend Anna points out.
I encourage you to ask your board of education and district to keep natural grass. If there’s no way around playing on artificial turf, here’s how to minimize kids’ exposure to unsafe chemicals in their plastic playing surfaces:
- Wash hands—or shower, if possible—immediately after playing on turf.
- Avoid tracking black infill crumbs into your home by adopting a cleats-off policy at home. Remove socks and uniforms too!
- Ask for team benches so players on sidelines don’t sit directly on artificial turf.
- Train on grass—ask if goalkeeper training can take place off turf.
- Get vocal about artificial turf safety with your district and board of eduction as well as your city or town.
Joining forces with other concerned citizens can help create change. And don’t give up! Anna and her cohorts are still at it—currently asking the town of Montclair to pass a moratorium on artificial turf—and the town’s environmental commision is backing this request. Anna has also joined a group of New Jersey advocates fighting turf in their respective communities and is in touch with similar people in Massachusetts. You can also join Moms Clean Air Force to advocate for better, stronger chemical policy in the United States. Our kids deserve to play safe from harm.
Learn more about Moms’ work on playgrounds.
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