US CPSC misleads public on syn-turf
July 31, 2008 From Nancy Alderman, President
Environment and Human Health, Inc.
http://www,ehhi.org
Op-Ed In response to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission declaring the nations synthetic turf fields free of lead and therefore safe
The story being told in response to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) declaring that synthetic turf fields safe because they do not contain lead, is extremely misleading. This declaration of "safety" is misinforming the public about what the potential risks from synthetic turf really are.
Environment and Human Health Inc. (EHHI) remains as concerned as ever about the synthetic turf fields that are being installed by schools and towns all over the United States. EHHI is a 9 - member, nonprofit organization composed of physicians, public health professionals and policy experts dedicated to protecting human health from environmental harms through research, education and improving public policy. EHHI is supported by foundations and receives no funding from either businesses or corporations.
When Environment and Human Health, Inc., (EHHI) researched the health issues presented by synthetic turf fields it looked at the ground-up rubber tire in-fill that is a major component of synthetic turf. The in-fill is made of used rubber tires. In some states used rubber tires are considered a "hazardous" waste and in other states they are considered a "special" waste.
When the he U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) tested the fields they only tested the plastic or nylon fake grass for lead. Not finding lead in their extremely small sampling of fields --- the USCPSC then declared all fields safe. They never even looked at the ground-up rubber tire in-fill for its health risks - which remain an enormous worry.
When the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station tested the ground-up rubber tire in-fill they found the following five compounds.
COMPOUNDS FOUND
Benzothiazole: Skin and eye irritation, harmful if swallowed. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.
Butylated hydroxyanisole: Recognized carcinogen, suspected endocrine toxicant, gastrointestinal toxicant, immunotoxicant (adverse effects on the immune system), neurotoxicant (adverse effects on the nervous system), skin and sense-organ toxicant. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.
n-hexadecane: Severe irritant based on human and animal studies. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.
4-(t-octyl) phenol: Corrosive and destructive to mucous membranes. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.
Zinc: There is a very large amount of zinc that is added in the manufacturing of tires and therefore there is a great deal of zinc in ground-up rubber tire in-fill.
Besides those chemicals, rubber tires often contain:
Benzene Carcinogen, Developmental Toxicant, Reproductive Toxicant
Phtalates Suspected Developmental Toxicant, Endocrine Toxicant, Reproductive Toxicant
PAHs Suspected Cardiovascular or Blood Toxicant, Gastrointestinal or Liver Toxicant, Reproductive Toxicant ,Respiratory Toxicant,
Maganese Gastrointestinal or liver toxicants
Carbon Black Carcinogen
Latex Causes allergic reactions in some people
Saying these fields are now safe because they do not contain lead is like saying that diesel exhaust is safe because it does not contain lead - or cigarettes are safe because they don't contain lead - neither of course is true.
Thank you for your attention,
Nancy Alderman, President
Environment and Human Health, Inc.
Environment and Human Health, Inc.
http://www,ehhi.org
Op-Ed In response to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission declaring the nations synthetic turf fields free of lead and therefore safe
The story being told in response to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) declaring that synthetic turf fields safe because they do not contain lead, is extremely misleading. This declaration of "safety" is misinforming the public about what the potential risks from synthetic turf really are.
Environment and Human Health Inc. (EHHI) remains as concerned as ever about the synthetic turf fields that are being installed by schools and towns all over the United States. EHHI is a 9 - member, nonprofit organization composed of physicians, public health professionals and policy experts dedicated to protecting human health from environmental harms through research, education and improving public policy. EHHI is supported by foundations and receives no funding from either businesses or corporations.
When Environment and Human Health, Inc., (EHHI) researched the health issues presented by synthetic turf fields it looked at the ground-up rubber tire in-fill that is a major component of synthetic turf. The in-fill is made of used rubber tires. In some states used rubber tires are considered a "hazardous" waste and in other states they are considered a "special" waste.
When the he U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) tested the fields they only tested the plastic or nylon fake grass for lead. Not finding lead in their extremely small sampling of fields --- the USCPSC then declared all fields safe. They never even looked at the ground-up rubber tire in-fill for its health risks - which remain an enormous worry.
When the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station tested the ground-up rubber tire in-fill they found the following five compounds.
COMPOUNDS FOUND
Benzothiazole: Skin and eye irritation, harmful if swallowed. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.
Butylated hydroxyanisole: Recognized carcinogen, suspected endocrine toxicant, gastrointestinal toxicant, immunotoxicant (adverse effects on the immune system), neurotoxicant (adverse effects on the nervous system), skin and sense-organ toxicant. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.
n-hexadecane: Severe irritant based on human and animal studies. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.
4-(t-octyl) phenol: Corrosive and destructive to mucous membranes. There is no available data on cancer, mutagenic toxicity, teratogenic toxicity, or developmental toxicity.
Zinc: There is a very large amount of zinc that is added in the manufacturing of tires and therefore there is a great deal of zinc in ground-up rubber tire in-fill.
Besides those chemicals, rubber tires often contain:
Benzene Carcinogen, Developmental Toxicant, Reproductive Toxicant
Phtalates Suspected Developmental Toxicant, Endocrine Toxicant, Reproductive Toxicant
PAHs Suspected Cardiovascular or Blood Toxicant, Gastrointestinal or Liver Toxicant, Reproductive Toxicant ,Respiratory Toxicant,
Maganese Gastrointestinal or liver toxicants
Carbon Black Carcinogen
Latex Causes allergic reactions in some people
Saying these fields are now safe because they do not contain lead is like saying that diesel exhaust is safe because it does not contain lead - or cigarettes are safe because they don't contain lead - neither of course is true.
Thank you for your attention,
Nancy Alderman, President
Environment and Human Health, Inc.
Added on July 31, 2008 by RachelCarson100
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