Recreational fields across the nation -- including several in Las Vegas -- have closed in recent years amid concerns that the synthetic turf may put children at risk for lead poisoning.
But without a standardized way to measure for lead, the severity of the risk is hard to determine. Are some fields being closed unnecessarily? Or do more need to be closed to protect the public?
A uniform approach to answering those questions is needed, says a national team of public health officials, including UNLV professor Shawn Gerstenberger.
Health officials currently use U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for residential soils and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) limits for consumer products. But conflicting standards and differences in regulatory opinions are confusing the situation.
Confirming the Hazard
The call for uniform testing guidelines follows the team's confirmation that lead hazards do exist in some synthetic turf.
"As synthetic turf is exposed to ultraviolet radiation and other atmospheric conditions, and to use and wear, turf fibers begin to degrade and can form dust on the field," said Gerstenberger, associate dean in the School of Community Health Sciences. "People who play or work on older turf fields, especially children, may be exposed to lead in the dust, most likely through hand-to-mouth contact."
For a study that appeared in the October issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers analyzed data from 33 synthetic turf fields in Nevada, New York, New Jersey, and a military base in South Korea. Of the fields tested, 16 samples exceeded both the CPSC lead limit and the established EPA lead hazard for soils.
The heightened levels were most consistently found in green-colored, nylon-based turfs and colored polyethylene-based turf -- the two most common types of synthetic turfs. Sampling methods included testing the amount of lead in turf fibers and concentration of lead dust due to degrading fibers. A smaller CPSC analysis concluded that synthetic fields are safe to install and play on. The synthetic turf industry, meanwhile, has agreed to reduce lead levels in its products.
According to Gerstenberger, since frequency of contact with the fields varies widely, just how much of a risk this exposure poses to kids needs to be examined further.
Until regulatory guidelines are enacted, the research team developed an intermediate strategy with guidelines for health officials on when to replace hazardous turf.
Physicians should be aware that lead from turf could be a potential source of exposure to young children with elevated blood lead levels, Gerstenberger said. In children six and younger, lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities and behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and even death.
