Senators To Investigate Artificial Turf

Abby Wambach called artificial turf a nightmare to play on. Schools have reported their artificial turf fields melting in the summer heat. And pet owners are worried about a study linking artificial turf to bladder cancer in dogs. But that’s nothing compared to the carcinogenic concerns about crumb rubber that lines artificial turf fields. Now two senators are on the case.

Recently, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) called on the Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate the health risks of exposure to crumb rubber, ABC news reported.

In a statement, the Senators said: “Even though crumb rubber sport and play surfaces are widely played on, little is known about their risks to health and safety especially to vulnerable populations, like toddlers with frequent hand-to-mouth actions, and to participants with especially high exposure, such as soccer goalies, who come in frequent contact with the rubber infill on synthetic turfs.”

Finally, somebody’s getting serious.