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Synthetic turf fields will be cleaned up!

Corrado Zunino, Erba sintetica, allarme confermato "Quei campi vanno bonificati," La Repubblica, May 3, 2006 http://www.repubblica.it/2006/04/sezioni/cronaca/campi-sintetitici-cancerogeni/conferma-rischi-cancro/conferma-rischi-cancro.html

Translated in part by Elio Branca

The former Italian minister of Health, Francesco Storace's last act in office was to make public on May 2, 2006, the study of a commission that he had set up in order to examine the potential risks associated with use of rubber in artificial turf fields. According to the study, the synthetic turf fields in Italy are potentially cancer-causing. The study found levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), toluene (volatile toxic compound), and heavy metals to be higher than the legal limits. The PAHs pose risks to kidneys, liver, and lungs. According to the investigators at the High Institute of Health (Instituto superiore di Sanita), the inhalation of the dust from these substances pose a risk to soccer players. The commission, which also included physicians and lawyers from the ministry of the Environment, urged the adoption of a law to clean up the dangerous fields.

According to Professor Roberto Verna, the president of the commission, "It is clear that PAHs and toluene are a danger to health." "We do not want to spread fear, but it is necessary to find a way to clean up the playing fields," he said. "Let us say, all of the fields in Italy need to be examined, the 350 official ones and the dozens that have been installed without governmental approval," he said.

Accroding to Verna, the inspiration for defining the danger of artificial turf fields comes from the law about greens paces and parklands. The study document will be sent to FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, and to the European Union: the European Union already has prohibited the production of rubber with PAHs after 2007. "This study is the first such work in Europe that has been undertaken by an independent commission," said Varna. "The rubber in the fields," he said, "must be treated like diary products: we must know about the origin of the rubber, the process and how its is made into its final form - to get a seal of approval/label of quality."

According to Carlo Tavecchio, president of national league of amateurs (Lega nazionale dilettanti), "we have to open up 200 fields and take out/vacuum the noxious substances. The cost will be divided among the Federal soccer organization, the producers of the turf and management of the clubs." This will be a titanic undertaking. Each full-size soccer field (11 v. 11) contains 130 tons of infill and costs between 300,000 to 650,000 Euros.

On the heel of the discovery of toxicity of the artificial turf fields, a pitched industrial battle is brewing between the producers of virgin rubber and recycled rubber, the big versus small. There is Olimpico that makes a product that is a mix of artificial grass and natural grass and does not need rubber. Then there are firms that manufacture foundations/underlay for artificial turf fields out of cork.

The commission noticed a great number of children's playgrounds are on rubber surfaces that are produced by the same firms that manufacture the rubber for artificial turf fields. The SBR rubber is considered risky.

According to Giovanni Lolli, undersecretary of Sports, "This is a serious problem. The commission has done diligent work: the next administration should reconvene the commission."

- Corrado Zunino, Erba sintetica, allarme confermato "Quei campi vanno bonificati," in La Repubblica, May 3, 2006 - also available at http://www.repubblica.it/2006/04/sezioni/cronaca/campi-sintetitici-cancerogeni/conferma-rischi-cancro/conferma-rischi-cancro.html

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