October 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 18

WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION
BThe Verdict Is in on Synthetic Fields
y Mary Helen Sprecher
n April, the EPA published a multiagency research report on synthetic
turf sports fields that use crumb rubber infill (tinyurl.com/2jsray4j). The
study found no significant difference in the exposure from certain chemicals
found between players who played on synthetic turf fields that use
crumb rubber infill and those who played on grass fields.
the Federal Research Action Plan
on the Use of Tire Crumbs in Playing
Fields and Playgrounds. In
mid-April, the three agencies jointly
released the Synthetic Turf Field
Recycled Tire Crumb Rubber Characterization
Research Final Report: Part
2 - Tire Crumb Rubber Exposure Characterization
(tinyurl.com/bde9zsx3).
Chris Franks of SCG Fields,
A recent EPA study
found no significant
difference in exposure
to certain chemicals
between players who
played on synthetic
turf fields that use
crumb rubber infill and
those who played on
grass fields.
In making its report, the EPA also
cited three independent studies:
* Netherlands National
Institute
for Health and Environment
wrote that the " risk
synthetic
turf
fields
virtually negligible "
com/3akzvdne).
* European
to
health from playing sports on
these
Chemicals Agen*
National
cy found " no reason to advise
people against playing sports on
synthetic turf containing recycled
rubber granules as infill material "
(tinyurl.com/5n7r3cvj).
Toxicology
Program
found there " was no evidence
of toxicity in mice from
ingestion
of
crumb
rubber "
(tinyurl.com/5a7dzsvr).
Research on the issue started in
2016 (tinyurl.com/5cktypbs), when
the EPA - along with the CDC/
Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry and in collaboration
with the Consumer Product
Safety Commission - started a
multiagency research effort, called
is
(tinyurl.
LLC, believes that while many may
not yet have heard of the ruling,
those in the industry have been answering
questions about synthetic
fields for years and discussing their
various advantages over natural
grass fields in specific situations.
Among those advantages are the
ability to host multiple sports without
recovery time, and the ability to
drain quickly and be ready for play
right after a rain. Additionally, synthetic
turf is manufactured in a variety
of colors to fit various installations.
Logos for park and recreation
agencies and sponsors can be inlaid
into the turf or can later be installed
by the builder, using paints specifically
compounded for synthetic turf.
Synthetic turf has been used not
only on rectangle sports fields - such
as those that host soccer, lacrosse, etc.
- but also on diamonds for sports
like softball and baseball as well as
for a variety of other uses, including
tennis courts, dog parks, playgrounds
and other facilities. It remains a popular
choice in the park and recreation
18 Parks & Recreation | O CTOBER 2 0 2 4 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
I
setting where fields must host multiple
events during the course of a day, a
week or even an entire playing season.
" Field owners and park directors
generally know what they want to
install, " says Franks, " but satisfying
community and parent concerns
is still a tough conversation
for them to navigate. "
One organization that was unsurprisingly
pleased to hear about
the report was the Synthetic Turf
Council, a trade association that
is a resource for credible, 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.
" We thank the EPA for the dedication
and time that went
into
this report and are pleased to see it
reaffirms what other research has
shown: synthetic turf and its system
components are safe, " says Melanie
Taylor, president and CEO of STC,
in a public statement. " Synthetic turf
systems unlock thousands of hours
of additional play across America,
save millions of gallons of water
annually, and provide a more consistent
playing surface. Our industry
has long been and remains committed
to safety and creating sustainable
play spaces, and we are pleased to
see that the largest study ever conducted
on crumb rubber infill in the
country demonstrates there is no elevated
health exposure for playing on
synthetic turf systems. "
Mary Helen Sprecher is Technical Writer
at American Sports Builders Association
(maryhelen@sportsbuilders.org).
PHOTO COURTESY OF ASTROTURF
CORPORATION
http://tinyurl.com/2jsray4j http://tinyurl.com/bde9zsx3 http://tinyurl.com/3akzvdne http://tinyurl.com/5n7r3cvj http://tinyurl.com/5a7dzsvr http://tinyurl.com/5cktypbs
October 2024 – Parks & Recreation

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