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Lake Co. schools say turf fields are safe

Prompted by a federal investigation into the possible health hazards of lead in artificial turf fields, officials at several Lake County schools on Tuesday said they're confident their fields are safe.

The manufacturer of turf fields used at three local schools -- Libertyville, Grayslake Central and Carmel Catholic in Mundelein -- insists those surfaces are made of a different material than ones recently shut down in New Jersey because of lead fears.

The assurances from Montreal-based FieldTurf came as a relief to Lake County school officials.

"It's always good to know that we have not put our students in contact with anything that would be harmful to their health," said Mary Todoric, spokeswoman for Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128.

FieldTurf is manufacturing the football field Lincolnshire's Stevenson High School will install this summer, too.

A fifth area school, Lake Zurich High, uses an artificial-turf field produced by a Texas firm called Sportexe. School officials are awaiting word from the company about the materials used to make it.

"We are tracking it," said Jim Jennings, spokesman for Lake Zurich Unit District 95. "If there is an issue, we will address it."

The concerns arose last week after two fields in New Jersey were closed. State health officials detected what they said were unexpectedly high levels of lead in the synthetic turf, raising fears that athletes could swallow or inhale fibers or dust from the playing surface.

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

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.

Synthetic turf fields are made out of various materials, including nylon and polyethylene. Pigment containing lead chromate is used in some turf surfaces to make the grass green and hold its color in sunlight.

The New Jersey health department found lead in both of the nylon fields it tested, but in none of the 10 polyethylene surfaces it examined.

FieldTurf doesn't use nylon in its product, according to its Web site. The company also boasted New Jersey officials found very low or undetectable levels of lead in the polyethylene fibers it uses.

The New Jersey cases have led to an inquiry by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which works to ensure the safety of consumer products such as toys, cribs, power tools and household chemicals.

An industry group called the Synthetic Turf Council insists no scientific evidence of health risks exists at the three New Jersey fields.

It acknowledged the fibers in some fields contain lead but said it's very difficult for the compound to be absorbed into the body.

Andy Bitto, Carmel's athletic director and head football coach, is confident his school's turf field is safe.

"Unless you eat the rubber, I think you're probably OK," Bitto said.

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