Current Posts
Posted
in April 24th, 2008 | ASGi
Recent
news reports about the possible existence of lead in some
types of artificial turf fibers and their potential danger
to the public has prompted a response by leading industry
manufacturers.
Mis-Leading
Press & Media Stories
Throw Synthetic Turf Under the Bus
This
week's news stories would have you believe that ALL artificial
turf fibers MIGHT have dangerous levels of lead in them and
that sports fields are being investigated by the hundreds -
simply NOT True.
It
all started with one, very unique school campus and its sports
field that also happens to be located adjacent to a scrap metal
facility in the city of Newark, New Jersey, USA.
"The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior
Services (NJDHSS) and the federal
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry/National Center
for Environmental Health
(ATSDR/NCEH) were investigating a contaminated scrap metal
facility in the city of Newark, NJ.
One of the contaminants at the facility was lead.
The facility
is next to an athletic field. At the
time of the investigation the NJDHSS and ATSDR/NCEH saw
children playing on the athletic
field. Because lead is hazardous to young children the
NJDHSS collected samples from the
athletic field to find out if lead from the scrap metal
facility was migrating to the field. The
samples were tested in a laboratory, which found that there
were high levels of lead in the dust."
An
important quote that the
media failed
to mention follows ...
New
Jersey DHSS Artificial Turf Fiber Lead Tests Conclude:
"Available Evidence Suggests That There Are No
Acute Health Risks Due to Use of Artificial Turf Fields,
and Risks Due to Chronic and Repeated Exposure are Unlikely"
For
those interested in understanding the background story that
is behind current media reports and correcting the mis-information
that these stories are generating, we recommend reading the
entire press release by visiting
the New Jersey (USA) DHSS site. http://www.nj.gov/health/artificialturf
The
great news is that the New Jersey field has been properly and
effectively cleared of all sources and remains of the hazardous
materials found across the entire school and neighboring sites.
A
significant investment was made by local, state officials and
the synthetic turf field installation company and synthetic
turf manufacturer to insure the entire project went safely
and smoothly. The school now has a new synthetic turf surface;
ready for spring and summer activities for the school
and community, at large.
Where
is synthetic turf manufactured?
Tufting
mills that manufacture and deliver finished goods of synthetic
turf to North American markets are located in either Georgia
or Texas. Half of the manufacturing mills are now turn-key
systems that produce their own yarn fibers, tuft their materials
and apply a coat of secondary backing materials, under one
company. According to Carpet.org, there may be 125 to 130 carpet
mills located throughout the US; with recent mergers and
aquisitions, less than 10% of these mills focus exclusively
on the specialize niche market of synthetic turf.
This
close-knit group of US manufacturers produce and deliver to
sports field system integrators approximately 150 million square
feet of finished synthetic turf materials per year.
With
rumors of 1000 field contracts being in-hand for the 2008 building
season, an average sized sport field at approximately
88,000 SF each, would consume the majority of that annual volume
while landscape and leisure sports uses may represent between
40 to 50 million square feet of additional artificial grass,
sown across the nation, at least, this year!
Contract
manufacturing is common in the carpet industry - companies
like Shaw and Monsanto contract with local mills to manufacture
special branded carpet styles and then generally contract with
another company that will add the secondary backing to the
surface materials (coating the reverse side of the turf, "locking"
the tufted stitches into the primary backing materials).
Much
like Shaw and Monsanto, artificial grass companies
across the US and Canada purchase finished goods, integrate
them with other, critical job components to meet the specifications
of the project they are building and market these systems
under a variety of brand name solutions.
Often
called "contract manufacturers", these brand name solutions
companies distribute their systems through channels of installers,
builders and suppliers, who manage and supply local and regional
markets. It
is common for them to pass on yarn and tufting manufacturer's
product and workmanship warranties for their surface materials,
to the enduser, directly.
"I
would guess that roughly 95% of the synthetic turf that
is laid down in North America was produced in the USA, by US
workers and shipped over US roads, using US companies,
generating US revenues, profits, taxes and jobs;"
states Annie Costa, Executive Director of ASGi.
"Manufacturing
Standards in the US are exceptional; any company that
meets or exceeds ISO 9001 Standards should be viewed
as a quality manufacturer, in my book.
"What
we should be concerned with is inferior materials being
brought into the marketplace - manufactured in the US
or abroad.
"
In my opinion, inferior goods enter a market place due
to the illusion of lower cost, not the quality of the
materials purchased and even though it seems like the
way to go for folks trying to stretch a dime into a dollar
- in the end, inferior materials, used in the synthetic
turf market, always cost double."
The
most commonly used fibers for artificial turf for landscape
and leisure sports are polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene
(PP) along with two formulations of nylon (PA 6 & 6,6);
all part of the olefin-family of fiber materials, which include
Kevlar(R) and other finished goods and fabrics used for airplane
seat coverings to safety clothing for police, fire and military
applications.
Yarn
manufacturers of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and
nylon (PA) fiber materials are located in Tennessee, Texas
and Georgia and most of the raw components and some of the
finished yarn and backing materials are imported from abroad.
The
question that the media has stirred up is: "Could
some or all of these products' yarn fibers [or infill materials]
contain lead or other contaminants that could harm us?"
Most,
not all, nylon, polyethylene and polypropylene
fibers are created from a basic olefin "plastic". To extend
the life of the color in these fiber materials, a water-insoluable
chemical compound called lead chromate is used in the fiber
formula; it becomes locked (encapsulated) into the structure
of the fibers of the finished yarn which prevents it from being
absorbed by the body or released into the environment. That
is why consumer test kits to test toys and paint for high levels
of lead may not detect any lead on the surfaces of artificial
turf fibers and infill materials, regardless of their age
and condition. There is no "lead" in the fibers to leach out
onto the surfaces and be detected by the test swabs .
What
does "Lead-free" mean?
We
are surrounded by sources and forms of lead, every day. What
makes lead-free gas, lead free, even though it does contain
lead? The answer is that the lead that is there is in such
small (trace) amounts that it is well below measurable standards
at which any one would be concerned; for humans, pets or our
environment. EPA, OSHA, CDC
Lead
occurs naturally, in soils, rocks and in water; and "un-naturally"
in the same soil, water and in our air, due to pollution and
of course where, in US houses and buildings older than
the mid to late 1970s, lead-based paints and inferior
vinyl blinds were used to decorate.
Bio-Availability
- the ability to be absorbed
The
important difference between the lead in paints or mini-blinds
and the lead chromate, in artificial turf fibers is it's "bio-availability"
or its ability to be available to be absorbed through the skin
or inhaled, as dust or vapors.
The danger of lead in paints,
blinds and especially toys, is that it can be extremely "bio-available"
and can be absorbed easily through the skin, and when the materials
age, they can cause "dust" and can also be inhaled. The high
bio-availability and the type of lead in paint, toys and vinyl
is also why consumer lead test kits can be used, successfully,
to determine if a suspect product could be of danger and should
be removed from the market.
There
is plenty of existing science* which proves, beyond a doubt,
that lead chromate, used in the manufacture of PE, PP and PA
fibers, is NOT bio-available through regular use; even under
extreme conditions.
In
efforts to continue to provide clarity and science to back
up safety and use claims, master batch chemists and yarn manufacturers,
members of STC, are collaborating on industry efforts to publish
additional research data on bio-availability of lead chromate
and the creation of a national equivilent to the DIN standards,
for artificial turf fibers.
Are
You Really Concerned?
There's
a simple way to handle that concern - test the materials, yourself.
During
recent concerns over lead in the paint and plastics of foreign
manufactured toys a short time ago, consumers could handle
their doubts about possible dangers in several ways. Home testing
kits and reasonably priced professional
lab services have always
been widely available; both then and now.
ASGi
decide to take the challenge and purchased several home test
kits from Homax Products (3rd
party accuracy reports here) that are commonly used to test for
lead in paint and plastics for toys and other consumer products; including
other types of natural and synthetic surfaces and dirt.
ASGi
tested popular brands of artificial turf materials using polyethylene
(PE) and polypropylene (PP) artificial turf fibers used by
professional artificial grass installers, branded solutions
vendors and construction wholesale supply companies, all across
North America.
Brands
included finished materials from tufting manufacturers located
in Georgia, Texas and China.
These test kits, widely available from any hardware store, can detect high
levels of leachable lead that exceed (US) government regulations; use of these
types of kits doesn't replace a professional inspection.*
The
most common way someone would be exposed to lead when using
an artificial turf surface is to absorb it through their skin
or breath it in as dust (common with today's polluted air).
Typical home
lead tests are a “presumptive” test for lead, to
detect whether there is a dangerous level leaching from the
surfaces of the materials you are testing. If the test stick
turns pink or red, there is lead, in excess of US regulations
for safety guidelines.
ASGi chose the Homax Lead Check ($8)
created to help consumers identify accessible lead in toys, ceramic dish ware
and vinyl or plastic. The kit consists of straw-shaped swab, with an inner
chamber that contains an active testing ingredient which, when properly used,
will turn pink when it detects lead.
ASGi
staff followed the manufacturer's instructions and applied
the tests to nylon fibers used as "thatch" mixed in with polyethylene
and polypropylene surface fibers and a popular infill material
known as SBR crumb rubber (the source of the rubber crumb sample
is a well known California tire recycling company).
ASGi
Lead Tests Conclude
NO TROUBLE FOUND On 12 Popular Artificial Turf Surfaces!
Not
one of
the 12 artificial turf surface material samples or either
of the two SBR crumb rubber samples tested positive for
surface lead contamination (to a degree that would be considered
hazardous by US Guidelines, set for toys and other home
goods, such as paint).
To
insure that there was the least possible risk of false
positives, staff members tested each material, using new
swabs, twice.
Consumer
Lead Test Kits
“[Lead
test] kits are not a be-all, end-all,” said Dave
LaChance, who created the Lead Inspector kit, [speaking
of the use for testing toys] “but the [kits] can empower the
consumer and help parents [and others]
rule out a [possible problem] product.”
Consumer
Reports recently tested five home lead-testing kits and concluded
that three of the five kits tested were useful though limited
screening tools for consumers concerned about lead levels in
the products in their homes.
Consumer
Reports found that three of the five lead test kits, Homax
Lead Check, Lead
Check Household Lead Test Kit and Lead
Inspector, detected surface or accessible lead
[the type of contamination that a person or animal would
absorb through the skin by physical contact with surfaces].
*
To ascertain exact lead levels, items must be screened professionally
*The
US Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) have established and published guidelines for
human and animal exposure to safe levels of heavy metals, such
as lead, in the products we use today. EPA & CDC &
OSHA
=======================
You
Can Easily Test
Artficial Turf for Heavy Metals
and Other Contaminants
Tools
for Professionals, Suppliers, Commercial and School Testing
Solutions
A very affordable and accurate tool for detection of heavy metals,
in including lead, in everything from artificial turf fibers
to infill materials (crumb rubber) is X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)
technology.
X-Ray Fluorescence
(XRF) technology tools use a non destructive method of testing
for lead content. These hand-held devices are used successfully
for measuring lead in soil and paint, including paint on children's
toys, furniture, and other objects.
Lead-based paint inspectors and some laboratories may have these
devices, which exist in both portable and fixed forms. Portable
XRF devices allow consumers to have items tested in more convent
locations such as home or schools.
For one option, available
to consumers on the internet - check on Artificial
Turf and Heavy Metals testing - hand held devices from Innov-X
Systems:
Another XRF hand-held device is from Thermo-Scientific
For
RENTALS of XRF Hand-held devices, you can rent by day, week
or month from Ajax Environmental
If you use a service to do the testing for you, cost per reading
depends on the number of samples to be analyzed and the inspector's
time.
Other independent testing facilities, used by the artificial
grass industry are:
United States Sports Surfacing Laboratory, Inc. [USSL]
Hopewell, VA
Hans Kolitzus
President
Kathleen Smith
Director of Ops
804.541.7212
www.ussl-testing.com
Thomas Testing, Inc.
Scotts, MI
Marvin Thomas
President
Sabrina Thomas
866.327.4690
www.thomastesting.com
Testing Services, Inc.
Dalton, GA
Erle Miles, Sr.
President
706.226.1400
www.tsiofdalton.com
Labosport, Inc.
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Yvon Depelteau
Director Canada
877.663.2526
Alastair Cox
Derbyshire, UK
www.labosport.com
For more handy tips to insure you reduce your risk
of exposure to lead - go here!
========================================
Many
of today's artificial grass materials apply a new, high-performance,
environmentally-conscious polyurethane backing called BioCel™.
This material provides additional horizontal stability to the
freshly woven grass surface fibers and insures a good tuft-bind
or tuft-lock, so that stitches will not come out from the backing
materials.
BioCel
replaces a significant portion of the petroleum-based polymers
in polyurethane with recycled and sustainable components, resulting
in a backing that is 60-70% green by weight. In addition, BioCel
has a non-woven secondary backing that is made of 100% post-consumer
recycled PET recovered from recycled water and soft drink bottles.
BioCel™ combines
bio-based polymers made from soybean oil with Celceram®,
a highly refined recovered form of the mineral lignite,
producing a product with improved performance features
without an increase in cost. The
ecologically-sound technology behind BioCel supports the American
agribusiness community and the EPA's initiatives for high performance,
sustainable products in industry.
Specification
Benefits
•The
use of carpet with BioCel contributes to the total building
materials requirement for rapidly renewable materials
under the Materials and Resources Section of Version 2.0 of
the LEED guidelines.
• Floor covering products incorporating BioCel can be submitted under GSA SIN31-601.
