Particularly Bad Personal Injury News for Texans: Artificial Turf May Be Dangerous

Brooks Schuelke

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There are few things Texans are more passionate about than football, but now the Consumer Products Safety Commission says that might be dangerous.  The CPSC is now investigating whether artificial turf is a source of lead poisoning.  Two fields in New Jersey were shut down after testing revealed up to 10 times the amount of lead allowed in soil.  Authorities are concerned that athletes could experience lead poisoning from breathing in the potentially contaminated dust.

Despite this testing, the artificial turf industry maintains that the products are safe.  From the article:

But Rick Doyle, president of the Synthetic Turf Council, said the lead is fixed in place in the nylon and does not leach out, and thus poses no health risk. He also said that in recent years, manufacturers have begun offering lead-free nylon surfaces.

"In the 40 years that synthetic sports turf has been in use in the United States and around the world, not one person has ever reported any ill effects related to the material composition of the fibers," he said.

For those of us in Texas, we hope the industry in right on this one.