A recent Yale University study showed that artificial turf is carcinogenic to athletes, but other studies show differently and Ridgefield High School Athletic Director Carl Charles is not buying it.
Charles, who was on vacation when the Yale story appeared and was not available to comment at the time last month, pointed to two recent letters from the Connecticut Department of Health, which evaluated the risks of artificial turf fields on its own.
“Our risk assessment did not find elevated cancer risk,” said Brian Toal, supervising epidemiologist with the Environmental and Occupational Health Assessment Program, in one of the letters.
The Yale report suggested soccer players and especially goalies may have an elevated cancer risk from playing on artificial turf fields. However, this is based upon anecdotal observations of a university soccer coach, Toal said in the letter.
The Connecticut Department of Health’s position that the outdoor turf fields do not represent an elevated health risk remains unchanged, Toal said.
A letter stating the state’s position was sent to all local health departments and districts in January, to clear up the confusion arising from news reports about the cancer risks.
The Yale study was performed on 96 separate chemicals found in the rubber tire infill used in synthetic turf and was performed at the request of Environment and Human Health Inc., an organization of physicians and public health professionals.
Charles said he stands by the state results and forwarded copies of those letters to former Schools Superintendent Deborah Low, before she retired.
The town has three artificial turf fields, two at Tiger Hollow and one at Scotts Ridge Middle School.
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