Statement to Montgomery County Council

ON RECORD:

My name is Marci C. I am a lifelong resident of MontgomeryCounty, and currently live in Poolesville, Maryland.

I come before you to speak about health and safety concerns regarding the artificial turf field that is in the planning stage for Richard MontgomeryHigh School. I want to ask you today if the type of turf and infill to be used has been determined. If so, and it if is an artificial turf field that has rubber infill, I have a lot of information about the possible health and safety issues of rubber crumb infill. I hope you will look over all of this information that I have compiled before agreeing to fund artificial turf fields in MCPS.

Artificial turf is comprised of grass (polyethylene or polypropylene fibers) woven like a rug, and the material that is raked in between the grass fibers which creates a cushion is referred to as "infill," approximately 100 tons of ground-up rubber on each artificial turf field. On a hot summer day, the rubber infill can heat up to over 140 degrees F. and outgasses toxic compounds into the air, some of which are known to be carcinogens. Hazardous metals from the rubber crumbs are leached into the ground water. Dust particles from these crumbs are easily inhaled. There is no barrier between rubber crumbs and the athletes playing on the fields. Skin rashes, nasal and eye irritations from these corrosive compounds, as well as playing in excessive heat are real conditions.

Please keep an open mind and read the attached studies regarding the toxicity of the infill, and the temperatures the material can reached during playing time, and I think you will find, as I did, that there is some question as to whether this type of field is totally safe for our children.

There are alternative infills on the market, STF Infill™ for one, which is a safe and sanitary synthetic turf infill, nontoxic, and free from heavy metals, waste, steel and fiberglass byproducts. It does not heat up to the temperatures that rubber does. Literature and testing information on the STF Infill™ is provided for you to look over further, and to pass along to the appropriate persons.

I would also like to address the injuries to athletes playing on artificial turf. Skin abrasion is the largest concern, as artificial turf is more abrasive than grass. Turf wounds are the exact skin injury that allow for MRSA transmission and contraction. Professional NFL players average 2 to 3 turf abrasions per week on artificial turf. High school football players in Texashave 204 artificial turf fields in their 1134 high schools stadiums, and average 16 times higher than the estimated national average for MRSA infections, according to 3 studies conducted by Texas Department of State Health Services.

There are also more reported lower limb injuries reported with knee and ankle injuries due to instability of the turf, and cleat traction. These same injuries were also reported by soccer players.

Professional football players were polled in a survey regarding playing surfaces and 72% said they would prefer to play on grass fields to prevent injury. 65% said that playing on artificial turf contributes to more injury. 74% said artificial turf causes more soreness and fatigue when played on.

We need to be the voice for our children, who don't have a say in this matter.

With that being said about the potential health risks of an artificial turf field, I would like address the upkeep of the artificial turf, namely sanitizing. There is a regularly scheduled maintenance program that needs to be adhered to, and I am curious to know if all concerned are aware of it.

Organic matter such as airborne dirt, blood, sweat, spit, skin, and food allow bacteria to proliferate and live. The artificial turf itself will get covered with these things and be a breeding ground and host to organisms. Artificial turf needs to be regularly professional maintained, disinfected, and treated with antimicrobial agents to yield protection against spread of MRSA infections, and inhibit growth of mold, mildew, algae, fungi, and other bacteria on the surface of the field.

If staph is on the skin, and players get turf wounds, they are leaving behind their skin on the turf. I have strong feelings about the turf being disinfected routinely. These services need to be contracted for and worked into any operating budget the school board has for artificial turf fields in one and all county high school stadiums.

Entire schools need to be proactively treated (not just the athletic areas, but all areas, including desks, chairs, doorknobs, computer keyboards, cafeteria tables, etc.) with antimicrobial technology (BioShield 75™) that will destroy microbes on contact, and not allow them to grow at all. Schools would be much healthier environments. Inside and out.