Information About Testing Environmental Samples for Toxic Substances Released from Synthetic Turf Field System Components
sample treatment prior to analysis
Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation (daylight)
The high-energy photons in Ultraviolet Radiation can attack the covalent, carbon-to-carbon backbone of polymers, breaking them into shorter chain polymers and/or "free radicals" which then react with other molecules in the environment. We see this degradation in pvc pipes that yellow in the sun, or plastic signs that fade after prolonged sun exposure.
Since these synthetic field materials will likely be installed with years of sun exposure ahead of them, it can be helpful to expose the materials being tested to sunlight or other UV light prior to investigating for potential environmental contaminants.
Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP) - Sometimes we want to know, ahead of time, whether or not a material will degrade such that precipitation that lands on it will carry pollutants into the surrounding environment. EPA "Method 1312 is designed to determine the mobility of both organic and inorganic analytes present in liquids, soils, and wastes."
For other recommended sample preparation and analysis procedure(s), please see pages 3-4 of the TetraTech report for the Martha's Vineyard Commission.
The high-energy photons in Ultraviolet Radiation can attack the covalent, carbon-to-carbon backbone of polymers, breaking them into shorter chain polymers and/or "free radicals" which then react with other molecules in the environment. We see this degradation in pvc pipes that yellow in the sun, or plastic signs that fade after prolonged sun exposure.
Since these synthetic field materials will likely be installed with years of sun exposure ahead of them, it can be helpful to expose the materials being tested to sunlight or other UV light prior to investigating for potential environmental contaminants.
Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP) - Sometimes we want to know, ahead of time, whether or not a material will degrade such that precipitation that lands on it will carry pollutants into the surrounding environment. EPA "Method 1312 is designed to determine the mobility of both organic and inorganic analytes present in liquids, soils, and wastes."
For other recommended sample preparation and analysis procedure(s), please see pages 3-4 of the TetraTech report for the Martha's Vineyard Commission.
METALS AND INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
Metals that have been found in testing include: Lead, Selenium, Zinc
Selenium is a rare metal used in rubber vulcanization processes, finding significant selenium in environmental samples without a clear industrial source can be indicative of (crumb) rubber contaminated runoff.
For recommended sample preparation and metals analysis procedure(s), please see page 3 of the TetraTech report for the Martha's Vineyard Commission.
Environmental and Human Health, Inc. and Yale University analyzed metals in crumb rubber.
Selenium is a rare metal used in rubber vulcanization processes, finding significant selenium in environmental samples without a clear industrial source can be indicative of (crumb) rubber contaminated runoff.
For recommended sample preparation and metals analysis procedure(s), please see page 3 of the TetraTech report for the Martha's Vineyard Commission.
Environmental and Human Health, Inc. and Yale University analyzed metals in crumb rubber.
| Yale_crumb_rubber_metals_summary_results.pdf |
| Artificial Turf EXPOSURES TO GROUND-UP RUBBER TIRES, ATHLETIC FIELDS, PLAYGROUNDS, GARDENING MULCH |
SEMI-VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (SVOCS)
According to the EPA:
"Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a group of chemicals that can readily transform into vapor (a gas) at lower temperatures. Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are more likely to be liquids or solids at lower temperatures. Some examples of products that include SVOCs are many pesticides, oil-based products, and fire retardants. SVOCs can deposit on outdoor surfaces. "
For recommended sample preparation and SVOCs analysis procedure(s), please see pages 3-4 of the TetraTech report for the Martha's Vineyard Commission.
Environmental and Human Health, Inc. and Yale University analyzed SVOCs and other carcinogens in crumb rubber.
"Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a group of chemicals that can readily transform into vapor (a gas) at lower temperatures. Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are more likely to be liquids or solids at lower temperatures. Some examples of products that include SVOCs are many pesticides, oil-based products, and fire retardants. SVOCs can deposit on outdoor surfaces. "
For recommended sample preparation and SVOCs analysis procedure(s), please see pages 3-4 of the TetraTech report for the Martha's Vineyard Commission.
Environmental and Human Health, Inc. and Yale University analyzed SVOCs and other carcinogens in crumb rubber.
PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES (PFAS)
The Lowell Center for Sustainable Production has published the following on Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances in Artificial Turf:
Previously, the Toxics Use Reduction Institute published
PFAS Test Methods (2020)
For recommended sample preparation and analysis procedure(s), please see pages 3-4 of the TetraTech report for the Martha's Vineyard Commission.
In 2021 EPA published Draft Method 1633 for the analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous, solids, biosolids, and tissue samples by LC-MS/MS, and were not available to TetraTech at the time of their analyses. This method may be useful on its own and after UV and/or SPLP pre-treatment.
- Review of Academic, Municipal, and other testing efforts (Aug 2024)
- PFAS Test Methods for Athletic Field System Components (July 2024, update of TURI 2020 doc)
Previously, the Toxics Use Reduction Institute published
PFAS Test Methods (2020)
For recommended sample preparation and analysis procedure(s), please see pages 3-4 of the TetraTech report for the Martha's Vineyard Commission.
In 2021 EPA published Draft Method 1633 for the analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous, solids, biosolids, and tissue samples by LC-MS/MS, and were not available to TetraTech at the time of their analyses. This method may be useful on its own and after UV and/or SPLP pre-treatment.
6-ppd
From US EPA:
"Used for more than six decades as an additive in tires, 6PPD (chemical name: N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine) is also found in other rubber products such as footwear, synthetic turf infill, and synthetic playground surfaces. 6PPD reacts with ozone in the air to form 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-q), which EPA-funded research in 2020 found to be linked to the deaths of coho salmon in urban Puget Sound streams. Exposures occur when runoff containing the chemical is washed from parking lots and streets into streams and other bodies of water."
"EPA’s Office of Water, in partnership with EPA Region 10 and Eurofins Environment Testing – Sacramento, has published Draft Method 1634, an analytical procedure to test for 6PPD-q in surface water and stormwater."
"Used for more than six decades as an additive in tires, 6PPD (chemical name: N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine) is also found in other rubber products such as footwear, synthetic turf infill, and synthetic playground surfaces. 6PPD reacts with ozone in the air to form 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-q), which EPA-funded research in 2020 found to be linked to the deaths of coho salmon in urban Puget Sound streams. Exposures occur when runoff containing the chemical is washed from parking lots and streets into streams and other bodies of water."
"EPA’s Office of Water, in partnership with EPA Region 10 and Eurofins Environment Testing – Sacramento, has published Draft Method 1634, an analytical procedure to test for 6PPD-q in surface water and stormwater."
Results from Community Testing
According to the Soil Science Society of America, "Soil is a mixture of minerals, dead and living organisms (organic materials), air, and water." Soil can become contaminated through direct application, dumping and discharge; interaction with precipitation, groundwater, and surface water; and via deposition from atmospheric emissions and precipitation.
Duration of soil contamination can vary from hours to centuries depending on the hazardous material that has come into contact with the soil and several other factors such as co-contaminants and environmental conditions.
Often soil contamination information from a community is presented alongside information about the toxic chemicals found in turf system component testing. While superficially effective, this comparison is not apples to apples, or even apples to oranges. This is because hazardous compounds interact very differently with mixtures of minerals, dead and living organisms, air, and water than they do with plastics and polymers. The fate and transport of contaminants is thus dramatically more interactive in soil systems than in synthetic turf athletic field systems, allowing contaminants from or on artificial turf to enter into stormwater and the ecosystem more readily than contaminants found in soil.
Further, just because a site has experienced contamination does not mean adding more is acceptable.
Duration of soil contamination can vary from hours to centuries depending on the hazardous material that has come into contact with the soil and several other factors such as co-contaminants and environmental conditions.
Often soil contamination information from a community is presented alongside information about the toxic chemicals found in turf system component testing. While superficially effective, this comparison is not apples to apples, or even apples to oranges. This is because hazardous compounds interact very differently with mixtures of minerals, dead and living organisms, air, and water than they do with plastics and polymers. The fate and transport of contaminants is thus dramatically more interactive in soil systems than in synthetic turf athletic field systems, allowing contaminants from or on artificial turf to enter into stormwater and the ecosystem more readily than contaminants found in soil.
Further, just because a site has experienced contamination does not mean adding more is acceptable.
Oak Bluffs, MA
MARTHA'S VINEYARD SOIL TESTING
See charts below made from data retrieved on 3/12/23 from: https://mvrhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2022_10_28_Soil_Analysis_Review.pdf
See charts below made from data retrieved on 3/12/23 from: https://mvrhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2022_10_28_Soil_Analysis_Review.pdf
| 2022_10_28_soil_analysis_review.pdf |
Milton, MA
MILTON SOIL TESTING
See charts below made from data retrieved on 3/12/23 from: https://www.townofmilton.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif911/f/uploads/analytical_report.pdf
See charts below made from data retrieved on 3/12/23 from: https://www.townofmilton.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif911/f/uploads/analytical_report.pdf
| analytical_report_milton.pdf |
Nantucket, MA
NANTUCKET SOIL TESTING
See charts below made from data retrieved on 3/12/23 from: https://www.npsk.org/cms/lib/MA01907678/Centricity/Domain/1356/NPS-Existing%20Soil-PFAS24%20Test%20Results.pdf
See charts below made from data retrieved on 3/12/23 from: https://www.npsk.org/cms/lib/MA01907678/Centricity/Domain/1356/NPS-Existing%20Soil-PFAS24%20Test%20Results.pdf
| nps-existing_soil-pfas24_test_results.pdf |
Stormwater from precipitation that falls onto artificial turf athletic fields carries contaminants and warmer water into the surrounding environment and nearby surface waters. Weathering and mechanical wear of these fields can result in migration of contaminants into the surrounding environment through stormwater then surface water.
Testing of artificial turf field components performed for the Martha’s Vineyard Commission resulted in measurable PFAS quantities after performing the EPA standard leaching procedure and PFAS analysis. Round 1 PFAS test results revealed detectable PFAS concentrations for PFBA, PFPeA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFDS, and 6:2 FTS. Round 2 testing revealed significant post-oxidation PFBA concentrations, indicating the presence of shorter chain PFAS present in the turf sample - not all of which are regulated or captured in an EPA 537 test.
These results prompted Tetra Tech to estimate 12ppt PFAS concentration for stormwater leachate in their final report (below).
Learn more:
Toxic effects and primary source of the aged micro-sized artificial turf fragments and rubber particles: Comparative studies on laboratory photoaging and actual field sampling
The dark side of artificial greening: Plastic turfs as widespread pollutants of aquatic environments
Tetra-Tech Final Report to MVC
https://www.mvcommission.org/sites/default/files/docs/2021-02-26%20%28TurfAnalysisReport_FINAL%29.pdf
Testing of artificial turf field components performed for the Martha’s Vineyard Commission resulted in measurable PFAS quantities after performing the EPA standard leaching procedure and PFAS analysis. Round 1 PFAS test results revealed detectable PFAS concentrations for PFBA, PFPeA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFDS, and 6:2 FTS. Round 2 testing revealed significant post-oxidation PFBA concentrations, indicating the presence of shorter chain PFAS present in the turf sample - not all of which are regulated or captured in an EPA 537 test.
These results prompted Tetra Tech to estimate 12ppt PFAS concentration for stormwater leachate in their final report (below).
Learn more:
Toxic effects and primary source of the aged micro-sized artificial turf fragments and rubber particles: Comparative studies on laboratory photoaging and actual field sampling
The dark side of artificial greening: Plastic turfs as widespread pollutants of aquatic environments
Tetra-Tech Final Report to MVC
https://www.mvcommission.org/sites/default/files/docs/2021-02-26%20%28TurfAnalysisReport_FINAL%29.pdf
Woodbridge, ct
In Woodbridge, CT, water samples taken before and after artificial turf field installation showed measurable PFAS increases using only EPA 537 testing. Email from resident Chandra Prasad to Oak Bluffs, MA documenting their pre- and post- field installation PFAS concentrations in stormwater samples.
See chart below made from data retrieved on 3/12/23 from: https://www.oakbluffsma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6834/Chandra-Prasad-email-Oct-2-2021
See chart below made from data retrieved on 3/12/23 from: https://www.oakbluffsma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6834/Chandra-Prasad-email-Oct-2-2021
| prasademail2oct2021.pdf |
N. SMITHFIELD, RI
North Smithfield, RI
State Officials Warn Burriville About Installing Turf Field Following PFAS Contamination in North Smithfield | By Colleen Cronin / ecoRI News staff | August 21, 2024
State Officials Warn Burriville About Installing Turf Field Following PFAS Contamination in North Smithfield | By Colleen Cronin / ecoRI News staff | August 21, 2024
| burrillville_artificial-turf_ridoh-ridem-letter-final_signed.pdf |
Weathering and mechanical wear of artificial turf athletic field systems can result in migration of contaminants into the surrounding environment through stormwater and surface water.
"...further work is needed to investigate the fate of PFAS in plastics during weathering (e.g., by ultraviolet light), and caution is warranted when selecting plastic materials for use in AT to ensure they do not contain side chain fluorinated polymers (SFPs).
Filling (and to some extent blades) also remains a highly problematic component of AT considering its potential to disperse into the environment as micro/nanoplastic (estimated between 1638 and 2456 t of filling in Sweden in 2016), and considering the recent discovery of nanoplastics in human blood. "
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.2c00260
"...further work is needed to investigate the fate of PFAS in plastics during weathering (e.g., by ultraviolet light), and caution is warranted when selecting plastic materials for use in AT to ensure they do not contain side chain fluorinated polymers (SFPs).
Filling (and to some extent blades) also remains a highly problematic component of AT considering its potential to disperse into the environment as micro/nanoplastic (estimated between 1638 and 2456 t of filling in Sweden in 2016), and considering the recent discovery of nanoplastics in human blood. "
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.2c00260
MINE Brook, Franklin MA
MINE BROOK, FRANKLIN, MA
Dr. Kyla Bennett (PEER) and Tracy Stewart (Safe Healthy Playing Fields) went out and took pictures, video, and a surface water sample that had different PFAS than the contaminated site further away.
2019 Boston Globe article
See charts below made from data retrieved on 3/12/23 from: https://peer.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/10_10_19_Franklin_Wetland_Complaint-1.pdf
Dr. Kyla Bennett (PEER) and Tracy Stewart (Safe Healthy Playing Fields) went out and took pictures, video, and a surface water sample that had different PFAS than the contaminated site further away.
2019 Boston Globe article
See charts below made from data retrieved on 3/12/23 from: https://peer.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/10_10_19_Franklin_Wetland_Complaint-1.pdf
| 10_10_19_franklin_wetland_complaint-1.pdf |
Sagamore creek, portsmouth, nh
SAGAMORE CREEK, PORTSMOUTH, NH
See chart below made from data retrieved on 3/12/23 from: https://www4.des.state.nh.us/DocViewer/?ContentId=4963375
See chart below made from data retrieved on 3/12/23 from: https://www4.des.state.nh.us/DocViewer/?ContentId=4963375
| nhdes_4963375.pdf |
All data gathered from the public record.