Democratic Senators Bill Nelson (Fla.) and Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) asked the White House to look at a possible link given that millions of children use such fields.
Advertisement
“Parents who are sending their kids off to play soccer and football on turf fields deserve peace of mind that these fields are safe”, said Pallone. The agency describes this report as “extensive” but “exhuaustive”; this November 2015 report said that playing with fields made out of crumb tire did not indicate high level of health risks.
Several federal agencies are teaming up to study the health impact of recycled tire crumbs used on turf fields.
Even though no one is denying the efficiency of the current surface on turf fields, it’s also worth mentioning that players are exposed to crumb rubber turf which gets into their mouths, ears, and clothing.
The agencies will conduct research focusing on evaluating the risk of exposures, identifying the chemical compounds found in crumb rubber, filling important data and knowledge gaps, and engaging stakeholders, such as parents, coaches, athletes and state agencies to further assess any risks posed.
Crumb rubber pellets recovered from an artificial turf field, left, and Nike Grind rubber bits, nestled among fake blades of grass, at right.
For years, there have been concerns about using artificial rubber turfs for playing sports since they have been suspected of causing cancer to female athletes. There will be a $2 million initial budget for the study and 50 federal employees will be involved, according to UPI. Now, the list consists of more than 200 athletes, most of which are soccer goalies, reported the Orange County Register. Still, people will have to wait until the further research is done by the federal agencies to know the risks of playing in synthetic fields.
The agency promises that it will release the new report publishing its findings by late 2016.
The turf is also present on synthetic fields across the US. A study carried out at the University of Washington was cited by the senators, which suggested a possible link between 153 cases of cancer and prolonged exposure to artificial turf containing tire crumb. She has compiled a list of 38 soccer players, 34 of them goalkeepers, who have come down with cancer – mostly blood cancers like lymphoma and leukemia, according to an NBC News report.
Advertisement
The study will focus on the crumb rubber turf and the negative effects it may produce on people exposed to it for long periods of time.
