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April 21, 2008 - Lead in Artificial Turf May Pose Danger to Children, Athletes

April 18, 2008 - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is investigating the potential health risks associated with high levels of lead in artificial turf at schools, parks, and stadiums throughout the U.S.

New Jersey health officials shut down two athletic fields this week because high levels of lead were discovered in the artificial turf. State officials feared that inhaling or swallowing fibers or dust in the turf may pose a health risk to athletes.

The manufacturers of artificial turf denied that its products are in any way hazardous to athletes’ health. A CPSC spokesman said that the commission is conducting a thorough investigation because the artificial turf has been installed at schools and parks and therefore poses a health risk to children across the country. There are approximately 3,500 playing fields that use artificial turf, and more is installed each year at hundreds of public and private facilities throughout the

The high levels of lead are caused by a pigment that is used in some artificial turf to prevent it from fading in sunlight. The pigment contains lead chromate, but the CPSC has not yet determined how often it is used by synthetic turf manufacturers. The two lead-containing surfaces that were found in New Jersey were made of nylon. None of the 10 polyethylene surfaces examined by New Jersey officials contained lead.

State health authorities found the lead by accident while investigating a playing field for contamination from runoff from a scrap metal plant in Newark.

Although the CPSC fears lead-containing fibers or dust may become airborne and pose health risks to athletes, the Synthetic Turf Council maintains that the lead in artificial turf is fixed in place, thus posing no health risk. No illnesses as a result of breathing fibers or dust from the artificial turf have been reported.

Currently, the federal government has no standard for the amount of lead that is allowable in synthetic turf. Lead may cause brain damage or other illnesses. Children are particularly vulnerable to becoming ill after being exposed to lead. Although scientists admit that the risk of lead exposure from synthetic turf is low, they recommend washing directly after playing on artificial turf, laundering the potentially exposed clothing separately, and keeping fields damp to prevent the dust and fibers from becoming airborne during play.

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