For multiple years, Ecology Center has been testing the impact of artificial turf plastics, revealing some significant findings. Collaborating with national artificial turf campaigners, Chris Kassotis at Wayne State University, and his students (notably Kyle Siegel and Brooklynn Murray), a new study was published providing initial evidence of endocrine disruption and cardiometabolic health impacts from artificial turf plastics. Cardiometabolic diseases include heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, insulin resistance, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Published in the journal "Science of the Total Environment," the study has broader implications for understanding how plastics behave when exposed to environmental conditions. This extensive research, which spanned several years, underscores the need for further investigation into turf-associated chemical exposures and their potential impacts on human health. Meanwhile, Chris Kassotis's team and other researchers are actively engaged in two additional artificial turf studies, striving to deepen our understanding of these critical issues.
Link to the Artificial Turf Paper
Citation: Kyle R. Siegel, Brooklynn R. Murray, Jeff Gearhart, Christopher D. Kassotis. (2024). "In vitro endocrine and cardiometabolic toxicity associated with artificial turf materials." Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, 111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2024.104562