LGUSD strongly discouraged from artificial turf usage by Mt. Sinai's Children's Environmental Health Center

Below is a March 2022 letter to LGUSD from Mt. Sinai's Children's Environmental Health Center.

Because there are significant gaps in the evidence supporting the safety of artificial turf products and because children are uniquely vulnerable to harmful exposures from artificial turf surfaces, a moratorium is recommended on the use of artificial turf where children play.

"Few studies have assessed potential chemical exposures from the artificial grass blades and backing materials used on synthetic playing fields. A recent study identified perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS), a class of chemicals linked to numerous health problems including cancer, nervous system toxicity, immune dysfunction, thyroid, and cardiovascular disease in the plastic grass blades and backing used on artificial turf fields."

"While it is important to maximize safe play time, we caution against the use of materials which carry the risks of chemical and heat exposure outlined above or have not been comprehensively tested for safety."