STC Endorses New Video “The Truth about Artificial Turf and Crumb Rubber”

Source: Synthetic Turf Council

Atlanta, GA – Today, the Recycled Rubber Council and Safe Fields Alliance released an educational video that has addressed the concerns parents and government agencies have voiced over the past 16 months.   “The Truth about Artificial Turf and Crumb Rubber”includes compelling interviews from parents, coaches, and scientists who have examined the available studies.  The seven-minute video provides answers to the frequently asked questions parents and officials have regarding health and human safety considerations of crumb rubber infill in synthetic turf sports fields. 

The video is available at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVZSVhyMv-A

“Our staff and board of directors had the opportunity to review the new video before its release, and agreed to officially endorse it and circulate it to our members” said STC President Al Garver.  “We have been addressing these issues with the same facts and conclusions, but this video is a new tool to communicate how concerned parents and public officials—at the local level—have investigated the science in the matter.”

Since the first story attempting to link crumb rubber infill to cancer aired in October of 2014, many schools and municipalities have tested their fields and none have reported any sample that has indicated an increased risk to human health.  Many concerned parents and community leaders asked their county health officials and state departments of health if purported risks were scientifically plausible.  The answers they received, and reported in their local communities, was, “No.  There is no indication of elevated risk.” Officials have also stated there is a significant amount of data available that comes to that same scientific conclusion: laboratory testing of samples by field owners have not shown harmful levels of carcinogens in crumb rubber infill; toxicologists have stated the human body cannot break down crumb rubber; and epidemiologists have stated there is nothing in current medical studies showing anything that triggers blood lymphomas.

“There are more than 13,000 synthetic turf sports fields in the U.S.,” said Garver.  “Of all the testing that has been done at the local level in the past year, if even one sample showed chemicals of concern that were at potentially harmful levels, it would have been reported widely.”    

The Synthetic Turf Council remains a strong advocate of science-based research and reporting on the safety of synthetic turf.  Their website serves as a clearinghouse for the more than 60 studies, including those conducted by local, state and federal agencies regarding crumb rubber infill. In each case, results have consistently shown no elevated health risks associated with the products.

About the Synthetic Turf Council

The Synthetic Turf Council was founded in 2003 to promote the industry and assist buyers and end users with the selection, use and maintenance of synthetic turf systems in sports field, golf, municipal parks, airports, landscape and residential applications.  The organization is also a resource for current, credible, and independent research on the safety and environmental impact of synthetic turf, as well as technical guidance on the selection, installation, maintenance, and environmentally responsible disposal of synthetic turf.  Membership includes builders, landscape architects, testing labs, maintenance providers, manufacturers, suppliers, installation contractors, infill material suppliers and other specialty service companies.