lead in artificial turf

[Guest guest]

Anyone have thoughts about lead in nylon based artificial turf? 

There is a CDC advisory – see below.

Terry Brennan

This is

an official

CDC HEALTH ADVISORY

Distributed via Health Alert Network

Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 16:10 EDT (4:10 PM EDT)

CDCHAN-00275-2008-06-18-ADV-N

Potential Exposure to

Lead in Artificial Turf:

Public Health Issues,

Actions, and Recommendations

Public

Health Issues

In

the course of conducting a routine health investigation at a metal facility in

Newark, NJ, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS)

and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) tested a

nearby community athletic field for lead contamination. Samples taken

from the field showed high levels of lead in the field dust, but the lead did

not come from the scrap metal facility.

The

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is partnering with its

sister-agency, ATSDR, to monitor this situation because of CDC’s expertise in

lead poisoning prevention.

After

determining that the lead source was the artificial turf, NJDHSS began to test

other artificial turf fields looking for similar high lead levels in artificial

turf fibers. These findings raised concerns about potentially high lead levels

in artificial turf used in other locations including fields and playgrounds.

NJDHSS tested a limited sample of athletic fields in New Jersey. Any questions regarding the specific fields

tested should be directed to NJDHSS.

As

determined by NJDHSS, limited sampling of additional athletic fields in New

Jersey and commercial products indicates that artificial turf made of nylon or

nylon/polyethylene blend fibers contains levels of lead that pose a potential

public health concern. Tests of artificial turf fields made with only

polyethylene fibers showed that these fields contained very low levels of

lead.

Information

provided by NJDHSS to CDC and ATSDR indicates that some of the fields with

elevated lead in either dust and/or turf fiber samples were weathered and

visibly dusty. Fields that are old, that are used frequently, and that

are exposed to the weather break down into dust as the turf fibers are worn or

demonstrate progressive signs of weathering, including fibers that are abraded,

faded or broken. These factors should be considered when evaluating the potential

for harmful lead exposures from a given field.

The

risk for harmful lead exposure is low from new fields with elevated lead levels

in their turf fibers because the turf fibers are still intact and the lead is

unlikely to be available for harmful exposures to occur. As the turf ages

and weathers, lead is released in dust that could then be ingested or inhaled,

and the risk for harmful exposure increases. If exposures do occur, CDC

currently does not know how much lead the body will absorb; however, if enough

lead is absorbed, it can cause neurological development symptoms (e.g. deficits

in IQ). Additional tests are being performed by NJDHSS to help us better

understand the absorption of lead from these products.

In

general, children less than 6 years old are more likely to be affected by lead

than adults because of increased contact with lead sources in the environment,

including lead contaminated house dust and soil. Children also absorb

lead more easily. Children's developing nervous systems are also more

susceptible to the adverse health effects of lead including developmental delay

and behavioral problems.

It

should be emphasized that although turf testing has been limited to the state

of New Jersey, no cases of elevated blood lead levels in children have been

linked to artificial turf on athletic fields in New Jersey and elsewhere.

Concerned parents should talk to their child’s pediatrician about potential and

known sources of lead in their children's environment and whether their

children should have a blood lead test. This is a simple blood test that

is paid for by most private insurers and by Medicaid.

NJDHSS

has asked the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to

investigate this potential problem and CDC and ATSDR are currently waiting for

information from CPSC to help guide future public health recommendations and

actions.

Interim

Public Health Actions Related to Testing Artificial Turf Products and Reducing

Potential Exposures to Lead

NJDHHS’s

testing of artificial turf fields was limited and only sampled turf containing

nylon. Since NJDHHS, CDC and ATSDR did not test fields composed of

substances other than nylon and nylon/polyethelene blend, we do not know if

lead is also a component in other types of artificial turf. Additionally,

not necessarily all turf made of nylon contains elevated amounts of lead.

CDC has long recommended the

elimination of all nonessential uses of lead. Because it is

unclear whether all artificial turf contains lead at this time, CDC and

ATSDR only recommend testing artificial turf fields that appear worn or

weathered.

As

a precaution, until further guidance is available from CPSC and until we have

more information about the absorption of lead from artificial turf products and

its capability of harm, CDC and ATSDR recommend:

· Testing turf that has

fibers that are abraded, faded or broken, contains visible dust, and that is

made from nylon or nylon-blend fibers. Information about testing is

provided later in this alert.

·

If the

dust contains more than 400 ppm lead, do not allow turf access for children

under the age of 6 years.

·

If

access is restricted, care should be taken to ensure that alternative sites

contain lead levels less than 400 ppm.

· Not testing turf made

from polyethylene-only fibers. This recommendation is based on currently

available data.

· Not testing turf made

from nylon or nylon blends that is not worn and does not contain visible

dust. These fields should be routinely monitored for wear and dust

generation.

· Replacing fields as

soon as practicable if worn and dusty, as a precautionary measure.

CDC

recommends testing children’s blood lead levels in accordance with state

guidelines. Concerned parents/caregivers should consult their medical

providers for further information.

General

Recommendations on the Use of Fields with Artificial Turf

At

this time, CDC does not yet understand the potential risks associated with

exposure to dust from worn artificial turf. The following precautions can

be taken to minimize any potential risk.

· Field managers should

consider implementing dust-suppression measures. Suggestions for

dust-suppression methods can be found at NJDHSS’s website, which is provided in

the additional information section.

· Children ages 6 and

younger are most susceptible to lead’s harmful health effects. To protect

the public, in particular young children, consider posting signs indicating

that:

1.

After

playing on the field, individuals are encouraged to perform aggressive hand and

body washing for at least 20 seconds using soap and warm water.

2.

Clothes

worn on the field should be taken off and turned inside out as soon as possible

after using the field to avoid tracking contaminated dust to other places. In

vehicles, people can sit on a large towel or blanket if it is not feasible to

remove their clothes. These clothes, towels, and blankets should be washed

separately and shoes worn on the field should be kept outside of the home.

3.

Eating

while on the field or turf product is discouraged.

4.

Avoid

contaminating drinking containers with dust and fibers from the field.

When not drinking, close them and keep them in a bag, cooler, or other covered

container on the side of the field.

General

Lead Poisoning Prevention Recommendations

Especially

in houses where children are present, parents, day care providers and other

child care providers should follow lead safety practices regardless

of the type of playing surface. These practices can help prevent

children from being exposed to the many sources of lead in the environment.

1. Wash

children’s hands frequently and always before they eat.

2. Do

not eat food or use pacifiers that have been dropped on the floor or outside.

3. Remove

shoes when entering the house or use door mats.

4. Have

your house inspected for lead if it was built before 1978.

5. Use

lead-safe work practices when doing work that disturbs lead-painted surfaces.

Lead

Testing of Artificial Turf Fields

Facility

managers who choose to have the turf at a field tested for lead should contact

their local or state department of health and/or environment about appropriate

sample collection and analytic methods. CDC and ATSDR recommend using

appropriate U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health, or American Society for Testing and Materials

methods.

Additional

Information

For

additional information about testing, dust suppression measures, and other

topics related to NJDHSS’s work to address lead in artificial turf visit

NJDHSS’s artificial turf website at http://www.state.nj.us/health/artificialturf/index.shtml.

For

a list of state health departments, visit the Association of State and

Territorial Health Officers (ASTHO) site at http://www.astho.org/index.php?template=regional_links.php.

ASTHO

also provides a list of state environmental health directors at: http://www.astho.org/index.php?template=enhancing_environmental_health_s.html.

The

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates consumer products, including

artificial turf. Additional information about CPSC and artificial turf

can be found at http://www.cpsc.gov.