Facility Owner Fact Sheet

Facility Owner Fact Sheet

Appendix N1b

Federal Government Study on the Use of Recycled Tire Crumbs in Synthetic Turf Fields

Background

Concerns have been raised by the public about the safety of recycled tire crumb rubber used in synthetic turf fields and playgrounds in the United States. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR is conducting an exposure measurement study to look at whether or not people who play on synthetic turf fields are exposed to chemicals found in recycled tire crumb rubber.

Your Role as a Synthetic Turf Field Facility

The purpose of the exposure measurement study is to determine if people are exposed to chemicals in the tire crumbs on synthetic turf fields. We are including natural grass field users as a comparison. We need synthetic turf and grass field facility owners and/or managers to:

• Allow CDC/ATSDR to recruit people who play on the synthetic turf fields at your facility. We will return to the facility and ask participants to answer some questions and collect urine samples from participants before and after they play on the field.

CDC/ATSDR needs at least 200 people who engage in physical activities on synthetic turf or natural grass fields to complete a questionnaire about how they use the fields. The questionnaire will ask field users about the types of activities (sports, physical education and training), how much time they spend on fields and how they come in contact with the field surfaces. In total, participants will spend about 50 minutes in this research study.

CDC/ATSDR will not be collecting any additional environmental samples from the participating fields.

COVID-19 Protections

Please be assured that ATSDR will take all necessary steps to protect members of your community from COVID-19. This study will be conducted following all state, local, and CDC guidelines in place at the time the study is conducted. ATSDR team members will be monitored twice daily for fever and any COVID-19-related symptoms and will wear masks and gloves to ensure the protection of participants. Similarly, participants will be monitored for fever and COVID-19-related symptoms prior to their entry into the testing facility and will be asked to wear a face covering or mask. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided to you.

Next Steps

CDC/ATSDR will review the results and prepare a study report that summarizes the biomonitoring results.

For questions or comment, please contact:

Heather Bair-Brake

Hhb9@cdc.gov

404.639.3323

Janine Cory

jcory@cdc.gov

770-488-0967

More information is available – https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/frap/index.html