UN

yung spent two summers collecting data at the university’s Stanley Ho Sports Centre complex in Sandy Bay over the course of about 10 consecutive days with a heat stress monitoring sys- tem comprising infrared radiometers and temperature sensors at different levels from the ground.

ANSWER ED

“Natural grass pitches serve impor- tant ecosystem purposes and help mitigate the urban heat island ef- fect—the increase in temperatures in urban areas compared with suburban areas due to urbanization.

“Water evaporation from natural turf produces a cooling effect,” Chi-yung said. He criticized the policy of replac- ing natural turf with artificial grass, noting that the trend in cities such as Singapore and in Japan was to convert more hard ground into grass.

“It is very disappointing that while every developed country is working to reduce the urban heat island effect, the government here is doing things to intensify it,” he said.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department in Hong Kong is com- mitted to replacing most natural grass pitches with artificial ones to raise “availability and quality” and to reduce maintenance costs. But Chi-yung isn’t the only person expressing concerns over such a decision. Professor Edward Ng Yung-yan, an expert in sustainable architecture and urban climatology at Chinese University, is quoted as saying, “Even if thermal effects were localized and not directly related to the urban heat island of an entire city, there was no running away from the fact that more natural grass would help to cool down a city.”

“The key scientific reason is water evapo- ration,” Ng Yung-yan said, pointing out that evapotranspiration cools both the turf and the air above it. “Real grass, not the fake stuff, has a cooling benefit for entire neighborhoods.” Ng Yung-yan said

30

Unanswered questions More and different types of profes- sional groups are identifying the need for additional research on the safety of crumb rubber—specifically, carbon black nanoparticles. These profes- sional groups not only include the scientific community, but insur- ance professionals and attorneys. As recently as late August, during the 2015 Annual Meeting of The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), (an organization composed of recognized leaders in the legal community dedicated to pursuing the course of a balanced justice system and representing those in need of a defense in civil lawsuits) featured a presentation titled: “NANOTECHNOLOGY: THE CHALLENGE OF INSURING AGAINST A MULTI-FACETED AND POORLY UNDERSTOOD LATENT EXPOSURE.” The pre- senters went to considerable length to state that further research about nanotechnology is needed. The information the authors presented to those in attendance also suggested that in the not too distant future, it’s conceivable that manufacturers—and possibly communities—will see the price associated with choosing arti- ficial turf fields that use crumb rub- ber, and playgrounds that use crumb rubber or rubber mats, increase to cover insurance costs against future liability claims.

The FDCC presentation can be viewed at: http://www.thefederation.org/ documents/20.Brandt%20et%20al%20 FDCC%20Nanotechnology.pdf.

Those who are affected by the debate about natural versus artificial turf and the use of crumb rubber want definitive answers. But right now there’s only one certainty, and it’s a sobering one: while everyone waits for the answers, the kids are still playing on these fields.

SOURCES: Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI) Yale University study: http://www.ehhi.org/turf/new_study_jun2015.shtml WJLA-TV ABC 7 Report: http://wjla.com/features/7-on-your-side/do-these- local-athletic-fields-cause-cancer ESPN E: 60 Report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91svvfuF7iY NBC Nightly News Report: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/artificial-turf- debate/mom-cancer-stricken-soccer-player-wants- answers-artificial-turf-n435146 NBC Nightly News Report: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/artificial-turf- debate/congress-asks-epa-if-crumb-rubber-turf-safe- young-athletes-n450551 South China Post article: http://t.co/tcaybwxAgd. CalRecycle - Safety Study of Artificial Turf Containing Crumb Rubber Infill Made From Recycled Tires: Measurements of Chemicals and Particulates in the Air, Bacteria in the Turf, and Skin Abrasions Caused by Contact with the Surface - Octo- ber 2010: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Publications/Docu- ments/Tires/2010009.pdf What’s the Deal With Synthetic Turf Particles? Soccer / football tire crumb arti- ficial – 4 minutes into – Carbon black and nanoparticles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2USPTy_ wVM&noredirect=1

RELATED STUDIES Study Says Carbon Nanotubes as Danger- ous as Asbestos: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article. cfm?id=carbon-nanotube-danger Association of Black Carbon with Cogni- tion among Children in a Prospective Birth Cohort Study:

TPI TURF NEWS • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

studies had shown that grass cools the surrounding air and reduces the radia- tion temperature.

“Real grass is harder to maintain, but it’s not impossible,” Ng Yung-yan said. “While other cities are moving from the concept of ‘garden in a city,’ to ‘city in a garden,’ we are reversing the trend entirely.”

The debate continues, as do the ques- tions. Is artificial turf crumb rubber safe? Is there a relationship between life threatening health issues and crumb rubber? Are we putting our children and athletes at risk by letting them play on crumb rubber surfaces? Are we creating small heat islands?