Jersey Health Officials Are Out With a New Warning About Artificial Turf Athletic Fields With Elevated Levels of Lead
Wednesday, June 04, 2008 - Millennium Radio
A few months ago, the Jersey Health Department announced 2 of 12 randomly tested artificial turf athletic fields were found to have elevated levels of lead - now, health officials are out with a new warning.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Eddy Bresnitz says a new round of testing on the lead-tainted fields "shows that lead dissolves from the turf fibers and field dust and is then available to be absorbed through the small intestine into the bloodstream."
He says that means "there is reason to be concerned about the potential for lead exposure from artificial turf fields lead exposure in young children can lead to cognitive impairment, lowering of IQ, attention deficit disorder, hyper-activity and at really, really high levels, you could even have death."
Dr. Bresnitz says right now officials aren't sure which type of artificial fields have elevated levels of lead, so the Health Department is recommending that all towns, agencies and schools "that have installed, or plan to install artificial turf fields should access whether there is lead in the field, by contacting the manufacturer, and if it's unknown, to test for lead in that field."
Health Department officials have sent these latest test results to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the CDC, and the EPA in Washington.
By: David Matthau
Bourjois
As a follow-up, I found this in the Press of AC:
Report: Lead found in fields can be absorbed by body
Published: Wednesday, June 04, 2008
New Jersey Health Department officials say lead found in artificial turf at three athletic fields can be absorbed by humans.
Since last year, elevated lead levels were discovered at Frank Sinatra Park in Hoboken, Lion Stadium at the College of New Jersey in Ewing and a field in Newark's Iron Bound district. Other fields tested have not had lead.
The Health Department says tests show lead from fibers and dust can be dissolved under conditions similar to human digestion.
State epidemiologist Eddy Bresnitz says the lead levels are not high enough to cause poisoning to people who play on the fields. But he says it could cause more damage for children already exposed to lead.
The state forwarded the findings to federal officials.
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