OEHHA Releases Draft Synthetic Turf Study Report

Preliminary findings show no significant health risks to players, coaches, referees or spectators

The CalEPA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has released the draft report for its Synthetic Turf Study for public comment until April 28. The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) contracted with OEHHA in 2015 to address concerns about possible health risks from exposure to chemicals in crumb rubber infills made of waste tire rubber used in synthetic turf fields.

To launch the study in 2015, CalRecycle compiled a database of various ages in California and engaged in extensive consultation with scientific experts from federal agencies and other entities in other states and held three public workshops to seek input from the public and stakeholders. OEHHA also formed a Scientific Advisory Panel consisting of seven experts in exposure and biomedical sciences that held annual public meetings between 2016 and 2019 to provide input.

The scope of the study covered field characterization, testing and monitoring; exposure characterization; toxicity evaluation; exposure characterization and risk characterization.

Overall, this risk assessment study found no significant health risks to players, coaches, referees and spectators from on-field or off-field exposure to field-related chemicals in crumb rubber infill from synthetic turf fields based on the assessment method and available data, the draft report said.

Specifically, the draft report concluded that the evaluations of acute toxicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, sensory irritation, general chronic toxicity and cancer risk in all receptor groups were within acceptable benchmarks with very few exceptions.

The Synthetic Turf Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) will convene on April 28, 2025 to provide feedback on the draft report.

OEHHA will review comments received from the public, the SAP, and revise the report as appropriate.

© Scrap Tire News, April 2025