A few weeks ago, NBC aired a segment that caught my attention as well as those of many student athletes as well as their parents. The story, titled “How Safe Is the Artificial Turf Your Child Plays On?” brought attention to the correlation between artificial turf and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. For those unfamiliar with what artificial turf is, it composed primarily “out of synthetic fibers and scarp tire — which can contain benzene, carbon black and lead” (nbcnews.com). Turf are the little black rubber dots that stick to your socks after a game on the soccer field and in your hair after a rough match of football on an artificial field. As an athlete, one might become familiar with the pile of black dots that form in his or her cleats by the end of a practice. Also know as crumb rubber, turf is layered onto man-made sports fields to provide cushioning support for athletes.
In the segment, Amy Griffin, head coach for the University of Washington’s women soccer team, began to notice a correlation between those who played the goal keeper position on the field with those diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Since 2009, Griffin met with and “compiled a list of 38 American soccer players — 34 of them goalies — who have been diagnosed with cancer” (nbcnews.com). In her findings, the majority of the players she visited were being treated for blood cancers similar to lymphoma and leukemia.
Further research was done at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station to truly breakdown the components of artificial turf. In their research, the compounds benzothiazole, butylated hydroxyanisole, n-hexadecane and 4-(t-octyl) phenol were discovered (Environment and Human Health, Inc.). On their website, Environment and Human Health, Inc. provided a summary of the dangerous health risk associated with each compound.
With these findings, could competing on artificial turf possibly be linked to cancer? We can probably cancel out reverse causation because proving that most goalies have cancer AND play on turf fields might be a little tricky to investigate. In NBC’s earlier statements, they mention how elements such as lead were found in the makeup of turf. It has been proven that in high doses of exposure, lead poisoning can be dangerous but not cancerous. The compounds described by Environment and Human Health, Inc. proved to be irritable and even toxic, but none pointing directly towards cancer. Ultimately, “no research has linked cancer to artificial turf” (nbcnews.com). This comes as a surprise to me. With all the research that’s being put into determining whether or not turf is cancerous as well as the numerous cases of student athletes diagnosed with similar forms of cancer, I truly believed some kind of connection would have been made. Perhaps there is a third variable in play or perhaps these cases are all random and due to chance. Regardless, these findings will make me think twice about stepping onto any turf field.
Work Cited
“Artificial Turf: Exposures to Ground Up Rubber Tires – Athletic Fields, Playgrounds, Garden Mulch.” EHHI. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.<http://www.ehhi.org/reports/turf/health_effects.shtml>.
“How Safe Is the Artificial Turf Your Child Plays On? – NBC News.” NBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/how-safe-artificial-turf-your-child-plays-n220166>.