A SECOND LOOK?
Artificial fields have grown in popularity in Maine in the past 10 years because of the increased durability and little maintenance needed. The most popular brand is FieldTurf, which has a patented mixture of sand and rubber infill with polyethylene monofilament blades of grass that resist matting and stand up to high traffic.
FieldTurf is not one of the high-risk turfs in question. It has - according to its CEO - 50 times less lead than the children's toy Mr. Potato Head.
The state Department of Environmental Protection and officials at three colleges in Maine are taking precautions in response to growing concerns nationwide about possible lead hazards in older types of artificial playing surfaces.
The state will conduct tests Monday on AstroTurf at Bates College in Lewiston, and Bowdoin College officials plan to test for lead in an artificial field on their campus in Brunswick.
The DEP plans to consult the University of Maine about an AstroTurf field in Orono that is being replaced in June with a newer artificial surface.
The three fields are all nylon versions of AstroTurf, some types of which have been found to contain lead in the pigment that colors the nylon fibers. Several older artificial fields in New York and New Jersey have been closed after hazardous levels of lead were discovered, according to New Jersey state health officials.
The concerns nationwide have focused on these older AstroTurf fields. Other artificial fields in Maine are newer and are composed of polyethylene surfaces and rubber infill, many of them manufactured by FieldTurf.
The three AstroTurf fields in Maine will not be closed pending tests because they are considered to have a low exposure risk, according to Carol Cifrino, a toxics specialist with the DEP.
"I think we'll essentially find out two things," said Bowdoin Athletic Director Jeff Ward. "What do we have and how do we deal with it?"
The DEP will use an X-ray fluoresence device to test the field at Bates. The college had sent its own test sample to a lab in late March that showed there was some lead in the field, said Cifrino, but at a very low level.
Cifrino said the DEP test will be definitive. The new test will also confirm whether lead could be released through abrasion or activity.
"What we'll know from the testing is if the AstroTurf itself has lead in it and what levels," she said. "Then we will have to find out if it's actually being released from the plastic fiber."
The field at Bates was installed in 2000, and the field at Bowdoin was installed in 2001. Both are used for field hockey and men's and women's lacrosse. The field at UMaine, laid in 1998, is in Alfond Stadium and used for football and field hockey.
Cifrino said she has offered to do testing at Bowdoin and UMaine, but the decision is up to each school. She said in the case of the football field in Orono, it is more important that it be removed properly.
"If there is lead and the material is degrading, the lead would be accessible because it's dry," said Cifrino. "We would recommend they wet it down as they remove it."
The field in Orono -- which has started to show signs of wear -- is being replaced in June with FieldTurf.
At Bowdoin, the facilities management division will be lining up a company to do the testing at its synthetic field, said spokesperson Scott Hood. He added: "It's something we're concerned about."
UMaine spokesman Joe Carr said the school plans to contact the manufacturer of the turf to learn the best way to manage its removal.
Lead is most dangerous for very small children, age 6 and under, and can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems or brain damage, according the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The three fields in Maine are used mostly by college students, but some have been used to host summer youth camps. UMaine has held football camps on the field, Bates has held lacrosse camps on its synthetic field -- for junior high age and up. Bowdoin does hold lacrosse and field hockey camps in the summer, but it is unclear if its synthetic turf is used.
Only grass fields were used at Bowdoin in conjunction with last summer's U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Championships held there and in Falmouth.
The hazards in older, nylon fields came to light after New Jersey health officials looked into whether runoff from a scrap-metal yard in...
Reader comments
Click here to view or add comments on this story
Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form