May 8, 2009 11:33 am US/Pacific
State Probes Artificial Turf Safety For Kids
SAN ANSELMO (CBS 5) ―
From Albany to Redwood City, San Jose to San Anselmo, kids are playing sports on artificial turf fields. They are very popular with players and coaches.
Redwood City soccer coach Ivan Bandov says he loves them, 'For one, because they offer a true bounce. There's no bumps like on regular fields. And it allows you to play anytime you want."
Despite their popularity, there are growing questions about the safety of these fields. A CBS 5 Green Beat investigation finds three areas of concern: toxins found in rubber pellets made from recycled tires, extreme surface temperatures hot enough to cause heat stroke, and the possibility the surfaces may harbor dangerous bacteria.
"What we need to know is, are these safe for children?" asks Mary Swan Bell, who led an unsuccessful campaign to stop construction of a turf field in San Anselmo. "These fields are here to help our children grow up, strong and athletic and vital."
One of the components of the fields that gives them a "bounce" are tiny rubber pellets made from recycled tires. But Caroline Cox with Oakland's Center for Environmental Research says that's clearly a problem.
"Of the ten chemicals we found in the rubber, five of them are known to cause cancer," Cox explains.
CBS 5's Dr. Kim Mulvihill told us, "I am concerned that there are questions that really haven't been looked at or answered. And yet we have these fields out there."
Two investigations are underway in Sacramento. One involves the State Attorney General's office, which last year forced turf manufacturers to stop selling a product that contained lead. In the legislature, State Senator Abel Maldonado has backed a separate investigation.
Maldonado says, "We are not going to let our young ones play on fields that could harm them."
The fields also retain the sun's heat much more than regular grass. At Brigham Young University, researchers found that surface temperatures reached as high as a whopping 200 degrees fahrenheit. Dr. Mulvihill says that's more than enough to cause heat stroke.
The world's largest manufacturer of artificial turf, Field Turf of Montreal, Canada, tells CBS 5 that they stand by their product, sending us this statement: "There has been a lot of work done looking at crumb rubber and heat, and it's found that our product is completely safe."
But Maldonado says if it's proven the turf fields may be dangerous to children, he would advocate having all of them "torn up."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Lots of strong opinions on both sides are coming in. Click here to read the comments and join the conversation.
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments