Dr. Diana Zuckerman, PH.D, Tap into Westfield: September 12, 2022

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As a mother, I used to think that artificial turf and rubber playground surfaces were a clever and attractive alternative to grass fields. As a scientist, however, I learned that my children were being exposed to unsafe chemicals without my knowledge or consent.  I recently wrote to the mayor, superintendent of schools and members of the Westfield Town Council and Board of Education to share scientific information about artificial turf and playground surfaces. I want to provide the same information to you, so you can determine what is best for Westfield.

As president of the National Center for Health Research, I have testified about these products to local, state and federal agencies and legislators; parents; and others who want to ensure that our children are not exposed to dangerous chemicals that can harm them now or as they grow up. Our nonprofit think tank includes scientists, physicians and health experts who conduct studies and scrutinize research conducted by others. We explain scientific and medical information that can be used to improve policies, programs, services and products.

Toxic Chemicals in Artificial Turf and Infill Materials

In recent years, scientists have learned about lead and PFAS in artificial turf, as well as the risks of some of the newer infill materials that are available to replace tire crumb and that are used in rubber playground surfaces. Tire crumb and rubber have well-known risks, containing chemicals that increase obesity; contribute to early puberty; cause attention problems such as ADHD; exacerbate asthma; and eventually cause cancer. However, the plastic grass itself has dangerous levels of lead, PFAS, and other toxic chemicals as well.

PFAS are of particular concern because they enter the body and the environment as “forever chemicals.” They are not metabolized and do not deteriorate, accumulating over the years. PFAS can cause liver damage and other serious health problems.  PFAS from artificial turf can get into groundwater, streams, etc. and from there into drinking water. New Jersey has one of the most stringent standards for PFAS in drinking water.

Replacing tire waste with silica, zeolite and other infill materials also has substantial risks.  For example, it is well known that “particulate matter” can cause lung problems and eventually cause lung cancer.

Evidence of Harm vs. Evidence of Safety

Scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (which is part of NIH) have concluded that unlike most other chemicals, hormone-disrupting chemicals (found in artificial turf and plastic) can be dangerous at very low levels, and also when they combine with other exposures in our environment.  That is why the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has banned these chemicals from toys, pacifiers, teething toys and other products used by young children.

Companies that sell and install artificial turf often claim there is “no evidence children are harmed” or “no evidence that the fields cause cancer.” This is often misunderstood as meaning the products are safe or are proven to not cause harm. Neither is true.

It is true that there no clear evidence that an artificial turf field has caused specific children to develop cancer. However, the statement is misleading because it is virtually impossible to prove any chemical exposure causes one specific individual to develop cancer.

As an epidemiologist, I can tell you that for decades there was no evidence that smoking or 9/11 exposures caused cancer. It took many years to develop that evidence, and the same will be true for artificial turf.

We know that the materials used in artificial turf and rubber playground surfaces contain carcinogens.  When children are exposed to those carcinogens day after day, week after week, and year after year, it increases the chances of our children developing cancer, either in the next few years or later as adults. That should be adequate reason not to install them in your community.

I grew up in New Jersey and know that when the weather is warm and/or sunny, it is usually quite pleasant to be outside. But when the temperature above the grass is 80 degrees Fahrenheit, artificial turf and rubber playground surfaces can reach 150 degrees or higher. A sunny 90-degree day could exceed 160 degrees on these surfaces. These temperatures can cause “heat poisoning” as well as burns.

Bottom Line

There have never been any safety tests required prior to sale that prove that any artificial turf products are safe for children who play on them regularly. In many cases, the materials used are not publicly disclosed, making independent research difficult to conduct. None of these products are proven to be as safe as natural grass in well-constructed fields.

Officials in communities all over the country have been misled by artificial turf salespeople and scientists hired to lobby. They were erroneously told that these products are safe. On the contrary, there is clear scientific evidence that these materials are harmful. The only question is how much exposure is likely to be harmful to which children? We should not be willing to take such a risk. Our children deserve better.

I am not paid to write to you or to speak at meetings on this topic. I do so because I care about the health of my children and yours.

To read the entire op-ed on the Tap on Westfield website, click here.

Celine Castronuovo and Jeannie Baumann, Bloomberg Law, August, 26, 2022

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A House report detailing coordinated attempts by Trump White House officials to influence the FDA’s pandemic response underscores the need for more transparency at an agency that’s facing historically low public trust, health policy analysts say.

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis said this week that advisers to former President Donald Trump sought to build support for hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 treatment, despite limited evidence on its efficacy. The report serves as a reminder of how allegations of behind-the-scenes political pressure can influence the public’s perception of federal health agencies’ independence.

“When things are happening behind closed doors, it’s easier for people to try to mess with the FDA,” said Joshua M. Sharfstein, who served as the FDA’s second-in-command during the first two years of the Obama administration.

“The more transparent FDA is, the harder it is for someone to come in and try to interfere with decisions,” he added.

The report comes as positive ratings of the US public health system dropped by nearly 10 percentage points over the past decade, according to a May 2021 joint study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Former federal officials and policy watchers say the FDA must maintain transparency in decision making to prevent external influence, especially as the agency oversees several ongoing health priorities—including authorization requests for omicron-specific Covid-19 vaccines and responses to the growing monkeypox outbreak.

The latest findings have garnered mixed reactions, with some policy watchers saying it shows the FDA defended scientific evidence in the face of efforts to politicize health policy. Others say any reports of attempted political interference is damaging to public trust in the FDA and other agencies.

FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf has said he will make combating health misinformation a priority of his tenure. And “throughout the pandemic, the FDA career staff has worked around-the-clock to make the best, science-based decisions on behalf of the American people in a rapidly evolving and unprecedented public health emergency,” agency spokesman Michael Felberbaum said in an emailed statement.

Building Resiliency

The subcommittee’s document, which also alleges efforts to promote convalescent plasma as a Covid-19 treatment ahead of the 2020 Republican National Convention, marks the second in a series unveiling findings from an investigation into Trump administration interference with federal health agency pandemic responses.

Many of the Trump administration’s alleged attempts to interfere happened behind closed doors, though the report found the FDA stood up to pressure to keep hydroxychloriquine around after data showed it lacked efficacy as a Covid-19 treatment. The FDA authorized the drug in March 2020 as a treatment for certain hospitalized Covid-19 patients. It revoked the emergency use authorization in June 2020.

Meanwhile, the FDA muscled guidance past the White House that made clear the agency wouldn’t let politics tamper with its decisions, all while facing pressure to authorize vaccines before the 2020 election.

Former FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in an interview with the subcommittee that chief of staff Mark Meadows and other White House officials had “objections” to vaccine guidance language requiring that manufacturers submit at least two months of follow-up safety data for late-stage clinical trials. Hahn said he resisted attempts to change the guidance because “any changes would be obviously reported and would further reduce vaccine confidence.”

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Fighting Misinformation

Califf’s efforts to highlight the dangers of the pandemic’s rise in health misinformation is one way to rebuild public trust in the FDA, although the overall effort will be a challenge, policy analysts say.

“There are some people for whom I think it will be difficult, if not impossible, to regain their trust,” Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research and a former senior policy adviser to the Clinton White House, said. “It’s not really that much the fault of anything that the FDA did; it’s the fault of the misinformation they’re getting from news sources or social media.”

Califf wrote in an Aug. 22 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association that “the global information environment has been contaminated by misinformation and disinformation.”

“The FDA must be more proactive in preempting and countering misinformation,” he said, adding that there’s also a need for “collaboration across sectors to create an information environment in which decisions” by “consumers, patients, and clinicians are more likely to be informed by reliable information based on high-quality evidence from trustworthy sources.”

Zuckerman argued that “Commissioner Califf has made it clear that he will not let the FDA’s reputation be undermined by misinformation.”

“He’s not going to have a political hack telling him what to do or say, and he’s shown a commitment to focusing on the science and protecting the reputation of the FDA,” she said.

To read the entire article, click here.