Product Safety Commission Clears Artificial Turf

Washington, DC, July 31, 2008--The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has determined that children are not at risk from exposure to lead in artificial turf grass fields, including rubber crumb types.

But questions remain about potential harm from lead and other chemicals, such as cadmium, zinc and benzene, from tires used to make crumbs that cushion those fields.

Some environmental advocates and citizens fear players could inhale toxic vapors when rubber crumbs heat up in the sun. Other concerns include exposure through skin contact or accidental ingestion.

The commission does not plan to investigate those issues unless other studies indicate cause for concern. "We're done with synthetic turf," spokeswoman Julie Vallese said.

Results from two broader federal and state studies on environmental and health effects of synthetic fields are expected later this year.

The federal commission focused narrowly on lead used in the manufacturing process to fix pigment colors in the blades. It looked at how much lead might collect on children's hands as turf deteriorates with age and wear. The study followed news earlier this year of high lead levels in aging AstroTurf fields in New Jersey, a type of turf not generally used here.

Commission staff concluded that newer fields had no lead or had lower levels and said the lead present in older fields was not enough to harm children. Still, the commission asked for the development of voluntary standards to prevent the inclusion of lead in future products.

FieldTurf Tarkett, the world's largest provider of synthetic turf fields, applauded the evaluation

"These findings are very important as they answer our critics definitively and offer yet another and hopefully conclusive validation of the safety of FieldTurf's products," said FieldTurf Tarkett CEO Joe Fields.