Three federal agencies will soon be investigating the possible link between artificial turf surfaces and cancer. The study will try to determine whether the ground-up tire material used in the rubber turf is connected to an increased risk of cancer. The “action plan” was announced on Feb. 12 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Senator Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who requested the comprehensive study along with Senator Richard Blumental, D-Conn., said “parents and athletes of all ages want and deserve conclusive answers on whether exposure to crumb rubber turf can make one sick. Combining the resources and expertise of three federal agencies to help find those answers is the right thing to do.”
Artificial turf, which has been used across the United States for years in everything from school playgrounds to professional playing fields, would put millions of children and athletes at risk if it turns out exposure to it is harmful. The presumption is that direct human exposure to the mixture of chemicals found in the turf may lead to chronic disease, particularly cancer.
The turf has crumbs from ground up tires spread thickly into the surface to provide traction and cushioning. The pieces frequently end up in the mouths, ears and clothing of players.
In a 2014 investigation conducted by NBC, it was found that many young female soccer players from the University of Washington women’s soccer team had been diagnosed with cancer. Most of them were goalies, who spend much more time in contact with the artificial turf.
Amy Griffin, associate head coach for the Washington team, discovered the series of athletes who were diagnosed with cancer not long after playing on artificial turf. She prepared a list of 38 American soccer players who developed cancer. Thirty-four of them were goalies. The list has now grown to more than 200 players. The most frequent type of illness reported is blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma.
Limited research has addressed the question in the past and none linked cancer with rubber turf, but the new study, which is approved by the Obama administration, will be far more large-scale.