Studies and news reports that expand the scope of Environment & Human Health, Inc.'s (EHHI) research reports about health and the environment. Click here for full reports at www.ehhi.org.
Artificial Turf: Exposures to Ground Up Rubber Tires on Athletic Fields and Playgrounds
Chemical analysis conducted by the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Findings of the chemical analysis conducted by the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies of crumb rubber tire infill used in synthetic turf and rubber tire mulch used as surfacing material in toddler playgrounds.
The shredded rubber tire playground mulch samples tested were provided by the manufacturer and were purchased in new bags of rubber mulch for use in gardens and playgrounds. The rubber tire infill for synthetic turf fields was obtained as new infill material from installers of synthetic turf fields. There were 5 samples of infill from 5 different installers of fields and 9 different samples of rubber mulch taken from 9 different unopened bags of playground mulch.
Results
There were 96 chemicals found in 14 samples analyzed. Half of those chemicals had no government testing on them – so we have no idea whether they are safe or harmful to health. Of those chemicals found that have had some government testing done on them, see below for the findings with their health effects. Read more here.
Below are 11 CARCINOGENS found in the tested samples:
2-Mercaptobenzothiazole – Carcinogen, toxic to aquatic life
9,10-Dimethylanthracene – Carcinogen, respiratory irritant and can cause asthma
Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate – Carcinogen, may cause damage to fetuses
Fluoranthene – Carcinogen – Fluoranthene is one of the U.S. EPA's 16 priority pollutants (a PAH)
Heptadecane – Carcinogen
2-mercaptobenzothiazole – Carcinogen
Phenol, 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl) – Carcinogen
Phenanthrene – Carcinogen (a PAH)
Phthalimide – Carcinogen, skin, eye and lung irritant (a Fungicide)
Pyrene, 1-methyl – Carcinogen
Tetratriacontane – Carcinogen, eye and skin irritant. Can cause systemic damage to central nervous system.
Pyrene – Carcinogen Toxic to liver and Kidneys (a PAH)
Below are 20 IRRITANTS found in the tested samples, including:
1,4-Benzenediamine, N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl – Irritant; causes skin and eye irritation; toxic to aquatic life.
1,4-Benzenediamine, N-(1-methylethyl)-N'-phenyl – Irritant; causes skin and eye irritation; toxic to aquatic life.
2(3H)-Benzothiazolone – Irritant; causes skin and lung irritation.
2-Dodecen-1-yl(-)succinic anhydride – Irritant; causes eye, skin and lung irritation.
3,5-di-tert-Butyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde – Irritant; causes iye, skin and lung irritation.
Anthracene – Irritant, causes skin, eye and respiratory irritation. Breathing it can irritate the nose, throat and
lungs, causing coughing and wheezing.
Benzenamine, 4-octyl-N-(4-octylphenyl) – Irritant; causes eye and skin irritation.
Benzenesulfonanilide – Considered hazardous; very little testing has been done on it.
Benzothiazole, 2-(methylthio) – Irritant; causes skin and eye irritation.
Dehydroabietic acid – Toxic to aquatic organisms.
Docosane – Irritant; causes skin irritation.
Hexadecanoic acid, butyl ester – Irritant; causes eye, skin and lung irritation. Can cause reproductive effects.
Methyl stearate – Irritant; causes eye, skin and lung irritation.
Octadecane – Irritant; causes skin, eye and respiratory irritation.
Octadecanoic acid, also known as Stearic acid – Irritant; causes skin, eye and respiratory irritation.
Oleic Acid – Irritant; causes skin and eye irritation.
Phenol, 2,2'-methylenebis[6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-ethyl – Irritant; causes skin, eye and respiratory irritation.
Tetradecanoic acid – Toxic to aquatic organisms. Skin and eye irritant.
Anthracene, 2-methyl – Acute aquatic toxicity, Not much data available; what there is shows it to be an eye, skin and lung irritant.
The Cancer List Keeps Growing Among Athletes on Synthetic Turf Environment and Human Health, Inc. has just released its study conducted at Yale on carcinogens in synthetic turf. Cancer cases among athletes who have played on synthetic turf fields are being gathered in an ever lengthening list. The study analyzed the chemicals in samples of rubber tire infill and the toddler playground mulch. They found 96 chemicals in the 14 samples tested, 10 of which are probable carcinogens. Click here to read the press release.
Spanish Study Finds Hazardous Organic Chemicals in Recycled Tire Playgrounds Analysis of playgrounds showed a large number of hazardous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, and other chemicals. The study concludes that "use of recycled rubber tires, especially those targeting play areas and other facilities for children, should be a matter of regulatory concern." The typical artificial turf field in the U.S. contains 40,000 ground-up rubber tires in small "pea-like" sized rubber crumbs. Click here for an abstract.
NFL Legends Say Grass Playing Fields Safer than Turf The Pittsburgh Steelers are re-sodding a field that was converted to artificial turf. Dan and Art Rooney have long maintained they prefer grass at Heinz Field instead of artificial turf because they believed it to be safer for players. A new, exhaustive 10-year study of injuries throughout the NFL, slated to be released soon, concludes that most severe injuries to the knee and ankle occur on artificial turf. Click here for story.
Voters defeat turf referendum in Redding, Connecticut Voters turned down a plan to spend up to $500,000 to convert a playing field at the Redding Community Center from an undersized natural grass field into a full size artificial turf field. The vote went a referendum because of a petition from residents who opposed the field from a timing, cost and location standpoint. Click here for story.Similar voting pattwerns have been seen in Montville, NJ and Park Ridge, NJ.
Artificial turf fields pose safety issues
Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc, professor of pediatrics and director of the Children's Environmental Health Center at New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine, outlines health risks posed by artificial turf athletic fields. Dr. Landrigan urges citizens and school boards to put off installing synthetic turf until a credible independent study has been conducted and published. Click here for more.
EHHI's Op-Ed in response to ground-up used rubber tires in toddler playgrounds Environment and Human Health Inc. (EHHI) remains remains extremely concerned about the ground-up rubber tire mulch that is being placed in our youngest children's environment––their playscapes. Some government scientists worry about the safety of using recycled tires for playgrounds. Click here for OpEd.
EHHI's Op-Ed in response to schools and towns installing artificial turf fields containing ground-up rubber tire in-fill
Environment and Human Health Inc. (EHHI) is concerned about synthetic turf fields that are being installed by schools and towns all over the United States. Many newspaper articles are reporting an increase of MRSA infections among football players playing on synthetic turf fields. According to a company website, "installation of a FieldTurf field eliminates the use of harmful pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides, while at the same time, removes over 40,000 tires from landfill sites." Because small crumbs of rubber tire are loosely spread over dyed green grass-like blades, they can be easily picked up by shoes, socks and even ears and hair. Click here for health risks.
