Potentially Toxic Dust Cloud at MCPS HS from Artifical Turf Field Installation

[Anonymous]

I think the key here is to make sure your kid is not a soccer goalie just to be on the safe side. I have to say I do like that games go on as scheduled despite massive rain.

[Anonymous]

Or football players. I know they wear more gear and mouth guards, but they are still inhaling. Watching the dust during games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the key here is to make sure your kid is not a soccer goalie just to be on the safe side. I have to say I do like that games go on as scheduled despite massive rain.

And that they don't fall down. Concussions are greater on artificial turf than on grass.

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone. So I was following this post because I had just signed my son up for soccer at a turf field and had no idea about these studies etc. I went today and it has small black pieces under the fake green grass and it smelled like tar there. Its ground up rubber. Should I be switching him to another league that uses regular grass fields? Im so annoyed by this and in no way am going to prioritize soccer over health. Ugh!

[Anonymous]

Anyone? What would you do?? DS is 6. Its a training program two days per week this Fall season. Do I pull him and have him go elsewhere??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone. So I was following this post because I had just signed my son up for soccer at a turf field and had no idea about these studies etc. I went today and it has small black pieces under the fake green grass and it smelled like tar there. Its ground up rubber. Should I be switching him to another league that uses regular grass fields? Im so annoyed by this and in no way am going to prioritize soccer over health. Ugh!

Personally, I'm not a fan. It's just not worth it, IMO. There are definitely options if you want your kid to play on grass fields! Especially at a young age.

My DS is 12 and loves soccer. Sometimes he does have games on turf, but for the most part, the fields (especially if you're located farther north in the County, where there is a little more space) have been grass. I actually won't let him play soccer in the winter, so that we avoid the turf. Plus, I like kids to vary up the sports anyway, so it's not just one sport every season.

Baseball is a decent option. Older DS plays baseball, and that is never artificial turf in MoCo!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone? What would you do?? DS is 6. Its a training program two days per week this Fall season. Do I pull him and have him go elsewhere??

Can you switch to a location that plays on grass? You might find that even within the same organization, some of the kids play on grass instead of turf.

If the kid is 6, it's not high stakes. You just want him to have fun and maybe learn a few skills. As long as the coaches are nice, it'll work out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone. So I was following this post because I had just signed my son up for soccer at a turf field and had no idea about these studies etc. I went today and it has small black pieces under the fake green grass and it smelled like tar there. Its ground up rubber. Should I be switching him to another league that uses regular grass fields? Im so annoyed by this and in no way am going to prioritize soccer over health. Ugh!

Personally, I'm not a fan. It's just not worth it, IMO. There are definitely options if you want your kid to play on grass fields! Especially at a young age.

My DS is 12 and loves soccer. Sometimes he does have games on turf, but for the most part, the fields (especially if you're located farther north in the County, where there is a little more space) have been grass. I actually won't let him play soccer in the winter, so that we avoid the turf. Plus, I like kids to vary up the sports anyway, so it's not just one sport every season.

Baseball is a decent option. Older DS plays baseball, and that is never artificial turf in MoCo!

Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's no different than all these 1950s houses with asbestos getting tear down, sending the dust over the neighborhood and playground.

They’re supposed to at least douse those with water as they are being torn down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I don't think that anyone can say definitively that artificial turf of any type is safe. It's very hard to prove safety, particularly on a relatively new product. There are no standards that I know of. "Organic" in this context does not mean much (unlike in food, for which the term is regulated). Crude oil is "organic."

Nobody can say definitively that ANYTHING is safe.

But you know what they can do? They can measure the HEAT generated by a grass field and compare it to a PLASTIC field.

It's called science.

And based on the known data, the artificial turf fields run up to 150+ degrees on a warm day.

BCC HS field - August 6th:

Air temp ~90 degrees
Grass temp ~ 92 degrees
Artificial turf temp ~135+ degrees

August 20th:
Artificial turf temp ~ 151 degrees
[/img]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157488956873926&set=pb.594928925.-2207520000.1567773163.&type=3&theater[img]

The EU has over 17,000 synthetic fields, including in Spain, Portugal and Italy which are significantly hotter than here. FIFA only plays on artificial turf. MCPS may be using the wrong material, I have no clue, but there are materials that are acceptable.

Time to catch up.

Time to catch up.

FIFA will only allow natural grass fields at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

The stipulation is contained in requirements sent to bidding nations and follows controversy over the use of artificial turf at the 2015 tournament in Canada.

I am caught up. In the EU FIFA plays on turf fields and has specifications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think that anyone can say definitively that artificial turf of any type is safe. It's very hard to prove safety, particularly on a relatively new product. There are no standards that I know of. "Organic" in this context does not mean much (unlike in food, for which the term is regulated). Crude oil is "organic."

Nobody can say definitively that ANYTHING is safe.

But you know what they can do? They can measure the HEAT generated by a grass field and compare it to a PLASTIC field.

It's called science.

And based on the known data, the artificial turf fields run up to 150+ degrees on a warm day.

BCC HS field - August 6th:

Air temp ~90 degrees
Grass temp ~ 92 degrees
Artificial turf temp ~135+ degrees

August 20th:
Artificial turf temp ~ 151 degrees
[/img]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157488956873926&set=pb.594928925.-2207520000.1567773163.&type=3&theater[img]

The EU has over 17,000 synthetic fields, including in Spain, Portugal and Italy which are significantly hotter than here. FIFA only plays on artificial turf. MCPS may be using the wrong material, I have no clue, but there are materials that are acceptable.

Time to catch up.

Time to catch up.

FIFA will only allow natural grass fields at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

The stipulation is contained in requirements sent to bidding nations and follows controversy over the use of artificial turf at the 2015 tournament in Canada.

I am caught up. In the EU FIFA plays on turf fields and has specifications.

Apparently not. The MCPS artificial turf fields do not meet the FIFA specifications.

This is not the EU and FIFA is not used here. MCPS fields are defective, dangerous, extremely hard and/or extremely abrasive. MCPS doesn't take care of grass and they sure as hell aren't installing safe artificial turf.

[Anonymous]

Im the PP who posted asking for advice on this. Im actually not in Mont Co. I lived in DC but just recently moved out of state.