Some Fairfax County Parents Worry Artificial Turf Could Hurt Kids' Health

They've done a "crash course" on crumb rubber, and some Fairfax County parents say they are concerned about what they've learned.

Now, those parents are asking the school district to delay the installation of a new artificial turf playing field that uses crumb rubber, so that there is time to study its health effects further.

One parent called it "157 and a half tons of chemicals that you would not allow cows to graze on."

Crumb rubber is commonly added to artificial turf, adding cushioning and helping the strands of turf stand up straight. It's made of ground-up car tires. 

Fairfax County's new field at Westgate Elementary School is being built with artificial turf, including crumb rubber.

"It's not something I want them exposed to on a regular basis," said parent Lucy Cedrone. "I'm certainly going to be talking to the gym teacher, the principal, asking how much by kids are going to be on this field and exposed to this stuff."

The parents cite a Yale University study that looked at the chemical makeup of crumb rubber. It found chemicals that are considered probable carcinogens and others that are irritants to breathing, the skin or the eyes.

Local

Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information

GMU cricket stadium proposal scrapped

Nationals place Stephen Strasburg on 60-day injured list

It also found that almost half of the chemicals in the crumb rubber had not had toxicity screenings to determine their effects on health.

The school district said they are aware of the parents' concerns and plan to conduct frequent air quality checks within the school. School officials said they will share these results with the community.

But they say plans are to go ahead with the new field, including the crumb rubber.

"The current available information has concluded that the use of synthetic turf in athletic fields remains safe with no findings showing a link between crumb rubber and any health risks," read a statement from Fairfax County Schools.

The safety of rubber on artificial turf fields has been questioned before. NBC News interviewed a soccer coach who had compiled a list of 38 American soccer players -- 34 of them goalies -- who have been diagnosed with cancer. The coach wondered if widespread use of crumb rubber could be linked to the number of names on the list.

No research has linked cancer to artificial turf, NBC News reported. But in October, some lawmakers asked the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate.

And the Fairfax County parents say they remain skeptical.

"They put crumb rubber on that field, there is no way I can in good conscience allow a child -- any child, but certainly my own child -- near that field," said parent Glenn Heller.

Contact Us