Test: Lead in Dist. 211 turf doesn't pose health risk

Satisfied by the results of its own investigation of lead in artificial turf, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 is moving ahead with plans to install it at its five high school football fields.

The district had turf samples from leading suppliers independently tested after concerns over lead-related health hazards prompted a federal probe and the shutdown of athletic fields in New Jersey last month.

Samples from three separate companies, tested at a Buffalo, N.Y., lab, were found to contain lead amounts well below the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission safety threshold of 600 parts per million.

As a means of comparison, a soil sample from one of the district's football fields was also tested and came out with higher -- though still safe -- levels of lead, Associate Superintendent for Business David Torres said.

Such results mean there is "absolutely no concern" lingering about the ability to safely install artificial turf, Torres said.

"We needed to validate it for ourselves," he said.

Plans remain on track, then, for the $6.5 million installation project.

Fremd High in Palatine and Schaumburg High are first, with installation slated to occur in time for next fall's football season. Conant, Hoffman Estates and Palatine high schools could follow as early as next year.

A variety of safe turf options are available. The district hasn't chosen a supplier yet, and Torres said as many as 15 companies could be considered when the project goes out for bid this summer.

Lead concern raised

Concerns over lead content in artificial turf peaked last month after a federal investigation was launched to look into its potential dangers.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission inquiry came after two New Jersey athletic fields were shut down when health officials detected what they said were unexpectedly high levels of lead in the fields' nylon turf.

Officials say the lead levels were up to 10 times higher than what's considered safe.

A third New Jersey field was closed last fall and is being replaced after similar test results.

Lead can cause brain damage and other illnesses, particularly in children. The government has no standard for how much lead is allowable in artificial turf.

Dr. Janet Collins, who works in occupational and environmental medicine at Elk Grove Village's Alexian Brothers Medical Center, said lead is around us but generally not in harmful levels.

"There is lead in the environment and in the soil. It's still around, but the question is are we taking it into our system at a high enough level that it is causing problems?" Collins said.

The surfaces that tested high for lead in New Jersey are the same older, carpet-style systems that conjure images of athletes grabbing their ankles and knees after catching their feet on a field seam and suffering an injury.

But synthetic turf is now made from a variety of materials, including nylon and polyethylene. Pigment containing lead chromate is used in some surfaces to make the surface green and hold its color in sunlight.

The New Jersey health department found lead in both of the nylon fields it tested but not in 10 polyethylene surfaces.

FieldTurf, among suppliers tested by District 211, doesn't use nylon in its products, according to its Web site.

FieldTurf surface in used at Libertyville, Grayslake Central and Mundelein's Carmel Catholic high schools and the turf being installed this summer at Lincolnshire's Stevenson High and at Barrington High.

Company spokesman Darren Gill said its surfaces are different from the carpet-style turf, including the use of FieldTurf's ground-up rubber infill made from recycled Nike shoes that hold each synthetic fiber as dirt holds grass.

Assurances of FieldTurf's safety have come as a relief to school officials.

But is it needed?

Safety questions aside, some District 211 residents have questioned whether artificial turf is the best use of taxpayer dollars. Backers say it's not a luxury.

Synthetic turf is more durable than grass, so fields can get more use. District 211 says the turf will be used not just by athletes, but also by bands, physical education and other programs that are now sometimes relegated to practice fields or parking lots.

"For physical education, we can use that surface eight hours a day," said District 211 Associate Superintendent for Instruction Nancy Robb.

Supporters also say turf saves money in the long run because there's little need for mowing, insecticides or watering.

District 211 officials estimate installation will cost $1.3 million per school, which includes the surface, drainage piping and maintenance equipment. Funds comes from two legal settlements and from a property sale to Palatine Township Elementary District 15.

FieldTurf's Gill said turf annual maintenance could cost $5,000 to $7,000. Torres said the district doesn't need to add money to the budget for maintenance. He said major repairs would most likely be covered by a warranty.

Torres said the district should be in the financial position to replace the surfaces every five years. That cost is lower than initial installation, as the district won't have to replace piping and equipment. He added the money wasn't the most important aspect of the project.

"This is not a cost emphasis," he said. "We based it on providing a significant number of usage opportunities for students, both in physical education activities and athletics."