|
DHSS Calls for Federal Action on Potential Lead
Hazard Posed by Artificial Turf
Health
and Senior Services Commissioner Heather Howard has
urged the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
to investigate the artificial turf used on athletic
fields, play areas and in homes, after New Jersey
testing found high lead levels in selected samples of
turf fibers.
The
New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
tested 12 artificial turf fields at municipal parks
and colleges, and found that two had lead levels eight
to ten times above the state’s residential soil
standard for cleanup of contaminated properties. DHSS
also tested samples of turf marketed for residential
use. Two samples had similarly high lead levels.
It is
not known whether lead from turf can be absorbed by
the body as easily as lead from other sources such as
lead paint or contaminated soil. Specialized tests are
pending on the high-lead turf samples that can provide
more information. Results are expected by early May.
The
most conservative approach would be to limit access to
the fields that have been identified with lead. Based
on the limited information we have at this time, the
Department’s assessment is that there is a very low
risk for exposure. The risk of exposure can be reduced
by proper maintenance of the field, including wetting
down the field. Users of the field should wash
properly and ensure that their clothing is washed
after play.
The
tested turf was composed of either nylon,
polyethylene, or a mixture of the two. High lead
levels were seen only in artificial turf containing
nylon fibers.
“This
is a potential consumer safety issue with national
implications, since these turf products are widely
distributed. While we are doing additional testing on
the samples, we recommend that field managers exercise
caution to protect against potential exposures for
those who use the fields where high lead levels were
found,’’ Commissioner Howard said.
Deputy
Commissioner and State Epidemiologist, Dr. Eddy
Bresnitz, requested further investigation of the turf
issue in an April 11, 2008 letter to Patricia Semple,
executive director of the CPSC. The federal agency is
charged with protecting the public from dangerous
consumer products.
DHSS
discovered lead in artificial turf while assisting the
federal Environmental Protection Agency in an
investigation of a metals scrap yard in Newark. DHSS
collected and tested dust and fibers from an adjacent
turf field on which children were playing. The
Department found high lead levels in the turf fibers,
and recommended the field be closed, which was done.
The
Department first contacted the CPSC last December to
give the agency the lead testing results and express
concern that the findings could have nationwide
impact. CSPC said it did not have sufficient
information to take any action, prompting DHSS to do
further sampling. As a result, the DHSS decided to
test additional turf sites and other consumer turf
products.
Artificial turf fibers were tested at 12 sites. These
10 sites were found not to have high lead levels:
·
Van Fleet Park, Fort Lee, Bergen County
·
Memorial Park and Kennedy Park, Borough
of Lodi, Bergen County
·
Memorial Park, Park Ridge, Bergen County
·
Church Square Park and Steven’s Park,
Hoboken, Hudson County
·
Mercer County College Soccer Field, West
Windsor, Mercer County
·
The College of New Jersey Soccer Field,
Ewing Township, Mercer County
·
Smithfield Park and Veteran’s Park,
Parsippany, Morris County.
The two sites containing elevated
lead levels were Frank Sinatra Park at 5th
Street, Hoboken and The College of New Jersey’s Lion’s
Stadium Field in Ewing. Both were notified of the
results today.
There
are no national guidelines for lead in artificial
turf. In the absence of guidance, the DHSS is using
the New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection’s residential soil cleanup criteria for
lead of 400 mg/Kg.
“We do
not know the health impact -- if any – that may result
in people who used these fields,” said Dr. Bresnitz.
“One concern is that, for children who live in homes
with lead-based paint or who have had other lead
exposures, any lead from turf would just add to the
lead levels in their bodies.”
Please
visit the DHSS web site at
www.nj.gov/health/artificialturf for fact sheets
and additional information. |
