Further Information on the Safety of Artificial Turf

There are many articles available on this issue. We are only including links to scientific studies, information from several state governmental agencies and a fact sheet on rubber granulate for informational purposes.

This week the New York State School Boards Association took a position opposing proposed legislation which would impose a moratorium on the installation of synthetic turf .  Click here to read the letter.

Original Research Studies:

• Examination of Crumb Rubber Produced from Recycled Tires, August 2007, http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/fact_sheets/examinationofcrumbrubberac005.pdf , Dept. of Analytical Chemistry for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES)
• Environmental and health assessment of the use of elastomer granulates (virgin and from used tyres) as filling in third-generation artificial turf, 2007, http://www.aliapur.fr/media/files/etudes_documents/Environmental_Study_Report_EN.pdf,  Author was Dr. Robert Moretto, from EEDEMS (a French research network).  Report was jointly issued by EEDEMS,  ALIAPUR (the leading French government body responsible for used tires)  ADEME (the French Agency for Environment and Energy Management) &  FieldTurf Tarkett
• Toxicological Evaluation for the Hazard Assessment of Tire Crumb for Use in Public Playgrounds, July 2003,  Journal off the Air & Waste Management Assn,  http://www.shercomindustries.com/industries/birkholz-crumb%20safety%20paper.pdf , 3 authors from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada:  Detlef A. Birkholz (Enviro-Test Labs); Kathy L. Belton (Alberta Centre for Injury Control & Research); & Tee L. Guidotti (Dept. of Public Health Sciences, Univ of Alberta)
• Evaluation of Playing Surface Characteristics of Various In-Filled Systems (an interim report with "data from the first two years of a long term study"), 2007,  http://cropsoil.psu.edu/mcnitt  , Andrew S. McNitt, Dianne Petrunak, and Thomas Serensits, Department of Crop & Soil Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University.
• Evaluation of Health Effects of Recycled Waste Tires in Playground & Track Products, January 2007, http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/publications/Tires/62206013.pdf , California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
• Environmental & Health Risks of Rubber Infill, Rubber Crumb From Car Tyres as Infill on Artificial Turf, 2/9/2007,  http://www.intron.nl/files/INTRON%20report%20rubber%20infill%20summary.pdf , INTRON
• Synthetic Turf Chemicals, 2007, http://www.albany.edu/ihe/Synthetic%20Turf%20Chemicals%20version%202%2010-23-07.htm , RAMP
• Artificial turf pitches - an assessment of the health risks for football players, January 2006, http://www.isss.de/conferences/Dresden%202006/Technical/FHI%20Engelsk.pdf, Norwegian Institue of Public Health and the Radium Hospital
• Leaching of zinc from rubber infill on artificial turf (football pitches), 2007, http://www.rivm.nl/bibliotheek/rapporten/601774001.html, A.J. Verschoor, Laboratory for Ecological Risk Assessment, NL Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning & the Environment

• Ambient Air Sampling for PAH’s, Schreiber High School Football Field, Port Washington, N.Y., October 29, 2007, J.C. Broderick & Associates, Environmental Consulting & Testing. Broderick Study- Ambient Air

  
  
  State Assessments:

• Fact Sheet "Artificial Turf Fields:  Health Questions", October 2007,  http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/environmental_health/pdf/artificial_turf_(2).pdf , Connecticut  Dept of Public Health; Environmental & Occupational Health Assessment Program
• NJ Preliminary Toxicity Assessment of Exposure to Crumb Rubber on Fields June 2007, http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/research/whitepaper%20-%20rubber.pdf

        Fact Sheets:

•  Twenty Questions on Rubber Granulate, Dr. Bryan G. Willoughby, British Standards Institute and the Sports and Play Construction Association, March 2007. Rubber Granulate