Note: This page contains information about alternative infill to crumb rubber (of the used tire variety). For earlier items relating to alternative infills, generally see http://www.synturf.org/industrynotes.html (Item Nos. 18, 23 and 27).
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[No. 03] “Corkonut” gets FIFA distinction. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. January 30, 2010. Among the most annoying dispatches received at SynTurf.org are items that are released by corporate communications people or their ad agencies touting products in the form of a press release or wire news. In the week’s fare however we came across one announcement that made good sense to us to be included in this edition of SynTurf.org. The item is entitled “Limonta Sport Chosen as FIFA Preferred Producer: World Governing Body of Soccer Once Again Raises the Benchmark for Synthetic Turf.” Submitted by GeoTurf USA, the piece claims that “Limonta Sport has been sold in over 70 countries with over 17,000 installations since 1981.” What caught our eye was the claim that “Recently, FIFA introduced the FIFA Preferred Producer Initiative, now raising the bar in recognition of the synthetic turf producers that have proven to consistently strive for the highest quality systems through research, testing, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance procedures. Limonta Sport … was selected by FIFA as one of only five, chosen from more than 150 synthetic turf producers and 25 FIFA Quality Concept licensees worldwide.” As a publication that first used the term corckonut (see http://www.synturf.org/alternativeinfill.html - Item No. 02), we could not help but notice the following: “InfillPro Geo: Developed and tested over the last decade, this patented and proven organic infill has revolutionized the synthetic turf market around the world. With its proprietary blend of coconut fiber and cork, or ‘corkonut’, InfillPro Geo offers increased foot stability and lowers impact forces, or Gmax, greatly reducing the risk of injuries. Of equal significance is the fact that odor free InfillPro Geo naturally absorbs humidity from the air and releases it through an evaporative cycle similar to natural turf. By nature of its composition and these natural properties, its use in our synthetic turf greatly reduces the surface heat by almost half. This greatly reduces the risk of heat exhaustion in athletes and does not contribute to the heat island effect.” This infill came about at a time “[w]hen environmental and safety concerns gripped the conscience of Europe in the last decade with the proliferation of SBR, or crumb rubber from car tires, used for the infill between the synthetic turf blades. Communities and nations alike began to question its use in synthetic turf.” Source: “Limonta Sport Chosen as FIFA Preferred Producer: World Governing Body of Soccer Once Again Raises the Benchmark for Synthetic Turf,” in CSR Press Release, January 29, 2010, available at http://www.csrwire.com/press/press_release/28784-Limonta-Sport-Chosen-as-FIFA-Preferred-Producer .
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[No. 02] Corkonut alternative infill is catching on. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. November 21, 2009. Headlines like this are bound to be viewed as advertising for the company that makes the “corkonut” – cork and coconut – variety of infill for artificial turf fields. An item like this may even give the impression that SynTurf.org is straying from its mission that is to oppose artificial turf fields on principle. Neither impression is correct. We do not advertise. We report; in this case the product is called Geo Turf by Limonta of Italy. Nor have we abandoned our opposition to the desecration of green grasslands by installing plastic fields. There is, however, something to be said about making this obnoxious amendment to urban, suburban and rural landscape as safe as possible for child play. On that score, we applaud the communities who move away from the use of crumb rubber infill for something less toxic along the spectrum.
Recently, we received word from two communities in which the decision-makers opted to go with the corkonut. A news story in the Bowen Island Times Edition (October 2, 2009) described the process by which Bowen (British Columbia) became the first community in Canada to jilt the crumb rubber option for corkonut. Click here for the story. For a praise and testimonial of the installation by The Canadian Soccer Association (November 6, 2009) click here. In October 2009, Riverdale High School in the Bronx, NY, complted its full five-sport artifcial turf with corkonut infill.
According to a news story in the Contra Costa Times (November 19, 2009) “The [Piedmont] school board has chosen cork and coconut hulls for Havens Elementary School's play field, to the relief of many Havens' parents. District officials had been considering a crumb rubber surface for the field, but after receiving a petition with 115 signatures from parents opposing installing rubber, they developed a list of alternative surfaces, including cork and coconut, plastic, sand and grass. Though there were few mentions of toxicity or health issues in any of the alternatives, seven of the 15 attendees at Tuesday's special board meeting spoke against choosing rubber. The field is intended for the school's kindergartners through fifth-graders and as a community resource. Its plans include two small synthetic turf soccer fields for children's use. For more on this story, go to Lucinda Ryan, “Piedmont's Havens field to get environmentally friendly organic turf,” in Contra Costa Times, November 19, 2009, available at http://www.contracostatimes.com/my-town/ci_13824541?source=rss&nclick_&nclick_check=1 or click here .
The question to be asked is why not more artificial turf installations use corkonut infill. The answer lies in a system of municipal procurement practices that does not allow for the sellers of alternative artificial turf fields to bid on projects. Typically, the municipality hires a “consultant” that then becomes, in the course of advising the prospective buyer, into a project manager. Most of managers recommend or put their requests for proposals or bids to artificial turf manufacturers who only deal in crumb rubber infill, much to the delight of the tire industry, landfills, and faux environmentalists who think as long as the stuff leaves the landfill and is “recycled” tire rubber it is okay. They routinely badmouth the alternatives as untested, with no to limited installations in the US, under-performing or expensive. When that does not work, they tell the buyer that if the buyer went with the alternative infill that the manufacturer could not warranty the field. That usually ties the buyer to crumb rubber.
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[No. 1] Dr. Maida P. Galvez (Mount Sinai) on alternatives to crumb rubber infill. SynTurf.org, Newton, Mass. November 8, 2009. Dr. Maida P. Galvez is Assistant Professor, Community and Preventive Medicine and Pediatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital’s Children’s Environmental health center, in New York City. In December 2007 she was a lead-panelist at the center’s lecture series on the topic of Toxic Toys, Plastics & Playgrounds. http://www.synturf.org/events.html (Item No. 3)
Recently, a reader was registering her son for indoor lacrosse at a new indoor sports facility in Norwalk, Connecticut. She asked what their infill was and the manager of the facility, Tom Siler, stated to her that the infill was “pure recycled rubber from not from tires.” She checked the facility’s website at http://www.sonofieldhouse.com/sfh-green.html , where she noted the following: “Sono Field House has taken great strides to help conserve the environment and our customers’ safety. The state-of-the-art turf field at Sono Field House utilizes a pure pre-manufactured recycled product. This is a much cleaner alternative to traditional SBR Rubber infill that comes from recycled automotive tires. The result is the highest quality indoor playing surface available, free of odor and dust. Additionally, this cutting edge new system eliminates the presence of heavy metals, aromatic amines, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – all carcinogenic substances associated with old infilled turf systems. Come play on New England’s finest green indoor turf field!”
The reader turned to Dr. Galvez to verify some of the claims made by Sono Field House.
In an e-mail to the readers, dated November 4, 2009, Dr. Galvez wrote the following:
There were several concerns put forth about the original crumb rubber infill, among them concern for chemical exposure, high temperatures on the turf, injury, and infection. The new products are aimed at decreasing these concerns and providing a safer environment for play. Materials used include natural fibers and cork, plastic infill, a vulcanized synthetic rubber (EPDM), and recyclable (but not recycled) non-vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The new rubber products produced specifically for the purpose of turf fields reduce or eliminate the zinc, sulfur, carbon black, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in the recycled tire products.
EPDM is a vulcanized synthetic rubber elastomer composed of ethylene and diene crosslinks. Vulcanization is a process in which curatives and additives are combined with rubber to convert it into a more durable and functional material. Unlike those added in the production of passenger tires, it is believed that additives used in the creation of EPDM are non toxic.
TPE is a crosslink of plastic and rubber covalently bonded and retaining the functionality of both materials - they can be molded and recycled and also have elastic properties. The structure of TPEs is maintained without the addition of reinforcing agents and stabilizers.
It is unclear from the website of Sono Field House which of the rubber alternatives they are using in the turf field. Further studies are needed to determine long term chemical exposure risks of newer products.
Ultimately, it’s always hard to know whether the alternatives are indeed safer without studies and as we both know, studies are largely lacking. Though, this alternative seems specifically designed to reduce exposures related to past tire use specifically. Whether or not EDPM or TPE addresses all concerns has not been definitively answered. Caroline is going to look into alternatives in greater detail and what’s known about them.
Certainly, there are known benefits to your son’s getting regular exercise and participating in team sports. I don’t know their ages but perhaps they can take measures to reduce their exposure as we mentioned eg removing crumb from shoes and clothing, frequent hand washing, ensuring proper hydration etc. I do know folks who feel their own teens are likely at low risk given their age and developmental stage but this is a personal decision for each family based on the information we have available. Very difficult decisions!
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