In June 2008, SynTurf.org carried a news story in which Washington DC activists and officials were calling attention to the potential harm from the silica sand used in artificial turf fields. Sand is often a part of the sub-base and it is used with crumb rubber granules in the mix that is called “infill,” which is applied topically to the surface of the turf field. For details on the DC story, go to http://www.synturf.org/warnings.html (Item No.20). Previously, SynTurf.org also had called attention to dangers of silica sand by reproducing the text of the warning panel from an empty bag of silica sand that was used on Tufts University’s artificial turf field in Medford, Mass. See http://www.synturf.org/industrynotes.html (Item No. 02).
This page is dedicated to information about silica sand, as used in artificial turf fields. It is appropriate that the first item under this banner be U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's own assessment of health risks associated with crystalline silica.
Please beware: Were you ever to raise silica as an issue when opposing artificial turf fields, the industry reps and community promoters of turf fields will ridicule you by implying that we should all stay away from sandboxes and beaches! Keep your cool, and remind them that inhalation of particulate matter, just as exposure to the sun’s harmful rays tend to pose health risks for all ages.
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[No. 2] Silica sand: Playing in sandbox [and on artificial turf field] not a day at the beach! According to a news report in the Richmond-Times Dispatch (July 31, 2009), “Cindy Bennett’s only initial concern with the sandbox in her son’s first outdoor play set was the mess it would create. She never thought the threat of cancer would be the issue.” Crystalline silica dust from the engineered sand, considered a lung hazard, is regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in industrial settings. It’s recognized as a carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency.” “Not really what I want my little guy playing in and throwing in the air,” Bennett said. “Quikrete and other brands marketed as play sand contain not only crystalline silica but traces of the mineral tremolite, a form of asbestos. For those reasons, California requires a warning label -- part of the state's Proposition 65 governing hazardous substances -- on play-sand bags. The label states that the product contains chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects and reproductive harm.” “Quikrete recommends that consumers dampen the sand to minimize the possibility of ambient silica in the air.” “The idea of keeping it moist is ridiculous,” said Katy Farber, author and founder of [Non-ToxicKids.net], “Kids are going to be pouring it or playing in it on dry summer days. You can see the dust in the air as it’s being poured. It’s easily ingestible.” Source: Julie Young, “Toxicity of play sand worries parents,” in Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 31, 2009, available at http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/lifestyles/home_garden/article/H-SAND31_20090730-185807/283133/ .
SynTurf.org Note: This [sand silica] is the same material that is mixed in tons with crumb rubber and applied on top of the artificial turf fields. Query: What kind of “sand” is used in the substrate of the artificial carpet?
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[No. 01] EPA’s view on crystalline silica. The EPA’s longstanding view of crystalline silica is contained in a document entitled, Health Effects of Inhaled Crystalline and Amorphous Silica, EPA/600/R-95/115, 1996. It is available at here or at the EPA’s website at http://oaspub.epa.gov/eims/eimsapi.dispdetail?deid=12999. The study’s abstract states, “Recently, public concern regarding nonoccupational or ambient silica exposure, mainly to crystalline silica, has emerged making it important to evaluate background and ambient concentrations. Ambient emissions of silica rarely are estimated or measured in air pollution studies of particulate matter. Crystalline silica is widely used in industry and has long been recognized as a major occupational hazard, causing disability and deaths among workers in several industries. This is a health risk assessment covering the causes and studies of crystalline silica exposure.” For further information on this subject, contact the EPA ( www.epa.gov ) at ncea.webmaster@epamail.epa.gov .
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