The artificial grass that is blanketing about 100 NYC parks and playgrounds, and counting, is reportedly literally melting the soles off of sneakers. The New York Daily News did an investigation on the installed turf, and found that it was dangerously hot- even on mild days. The temperature of the turf, which is often twice as high as the temperatures reached on natural grass, is said to provoke heat-related illnesses. In addition to this, other dangerous health risks are also associated with the artificial turf.According to the New York Daily News the synthetic material is composed of: "millions of tiny crumbs which contain heavy metals like lead and cadmium, as well as volatile organic compounds and other chemicals." These materials are highly likely to give off poisonous emissions when exposed to heat. The city needs to rectify this situation pronto, unless they are looking forward to several lawsuits based on the "dangers of the grass."
[SIDEBAR: Doesn't somebody get a nice fat paycheck to do due diligence on this type of thing before it is placed in public spaces. SMH. When will we learn that mother nature knows best.]
2 comments:
It's always interesting to read these type of "articles".
The kicker is when you say something at the end about doesn't someone get paid "big bucks" to do due dilligence....
There are over 3500 of these fields nationwide- and there are millions of people playing on them daily- and have been for over a decade- if they were hot enough to melt shoe soles- someone would have noticed this by now.
You might want to do some due dilligence before reproting what has been "reported."
These fields do get hot on the hottest days of the year- but not as hot as you have reported.
The crumbs you mention are made of ground up tires- but there is absolutely no credible evidence that they harm people or give off these toxic chemicals you mentioned.
The millions of people would have seen some negative effects by now. But you don't have to leave it to anecdotal stories- go to a field and see people running on it enjoying themselves- bring along a sicetist and see if they can detect any of these dangerous fumes and substances you mentioned.
Test people who play on them for dangerous levels of these substances- it's been done- and the results are not in dispute- this is hogwash.
There are fields that use far less rubber- or none at all0 and they are coolor.
However, the methods used for measuring the temperatures of these fields are wildly disputed- some defy logic as they exceed the melting point of the field.
There is no question though- the fields with lots of black rubber crumbs in the middle of the plastic blades do get hot- and they give off heat- but the biggest proboem is the rubber gets all over the place.
Reports that they harm people though are ust simply rediculous and those reading them should do their own due dilligence.
Thanks for stopping by the blog, and leaving a comment. I appreciate your insight, although I disagree.
There have been many instances when the public has been exposed to harmful products. Initially, the products are deemed "safe"; only later, they are proven to be hazardous (**Need I remind you of the lead paint fiasco**).
With the installment of artificial grass, there are many credible detractors noting its possible dangers. My blog entry about the possible dangers of the artificial turf was just the tip of the iceberg regarding warnings concerning the possible side effects of the turf's presence in public outdoor areas.
Here's a link to an article from 2007, that cites scientific testing done on the artificial turf at Rutgers University: http://www.junipercivic.com/latestNewsArticle.asp?nid=156.
The findings were startling, and a must read!
Here are a couple of more recent articles regarding the turf- including the one from the NY Daily News, that I cited in my blog entry:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/07/05/2008-07-05_parks_fake_grass_can_reach_a_scorching_1.html
http://gothamist.com/2008/07/06/smokin_hot_grass_in_city_parks_coul.php
As with any topic, there can be a bevy of opinions and conclusions. However, when it comes to dangerous health risks, I believe in the old adage of "better safe than sorry."
Why install any type of material that could even be slightly detrimental to people's health? Especially when an easy alternative is available...We could always use the natural stuff...lol.
Once again, thanks for sharing your opinion.
Best wishes. Have a great summer.
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