Burrillville Town Council
105 Harrisville Main Street
Harrisville, RI, 02830
To the members of the Burrillville Town Council,
Several stakeholders have brought concerns about the installation of an artificial turf football
field at Burrillville High School to the Rhode Island Department of Health and Department of
Environmental Management (RIDOH and RIDEM, respectively). RIDOH and RIDEM have
reviewed the available scientific literature and case studies of similar fields around the country
and in Rhode Island. We request that the Council review the results of our analysis and provided
resources to aid their deliberation over the installation of the field.
Potential risks to health
Artificial turf fields contain a variety of chemicals; however, exposure to these chemicals
during playtime is unlikely to increase the risk of negative health effects. Artificial turf made
of crumb rubber was the subject of a series of studies from the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and Centers for Disease Control/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(CDC/ATSDR).(1,2) These studies examined artificial turf fields for the potential to expose people
to a variety of chemicals, including metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and volatile
organic compounds.(1,2) They concluded that, while these chemicals are present in the turf, people
likely have a negligible (meaning zero or close to zero) amount of contact with the chemicals
during play.(1,2) Since the amount of contact with contaminants is low, the health risks posed by
the chemicals are low during playtime. (1,2)
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) have also been reported in artificial turf in
scientific literature. (3) PFAS are used during the production of artificial turf to prevent the
machines that extrude the plastic from clogging.(4,5) News reports show that artificial turf fields in
Boston(6) , Philadelphia7
, and Portsmouth (NH)(8) contain PFAS. PFAS are a group of chemicals
known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment. Exposure to
PFAS over a long period of time can increase the risk for negative health effects such as higher
cholesterol levels, lower infant birth weights, weakened immune response, and some cancers,
including kidney cancer.(9) Some types of artificial turf that are advertised as “PFAS free” have
still been shown to contain PFAS when tested by independent third parties.(8,10)
While PFAS is present in artificial turf, exposure during playtime would likely be similar to
exposures to the contaminants monitored in the EPA/CDC/ATSDR report. This means that
exposures to PFAS during playtime would not likely increase the risk of negative health effects.
RIDOH and RIDEM are most concerned about the potential for PFAS from the turf field
to contaminate groundwater in the area. The scientific literature has yet to produce a study
conclusively linking artificial turf fields with PFAS contamination in groundwater. However,
sampling data collected by both RIDOH and RIDEM at North Smithfield Junior-Senior High
School suggest that the artificial turf field (first constructed in 2007 and upgraded/replaced in
2021) may be partly or wholly contributing to the contamination of nearby private and public
drinking water supply wells. In this area, groundwater flows from Well #1 to the artificial turf
field and then to Well #2. We call Well #1 “upgradient” and Well #2 “downgradient” based on
the groundwater flow and their locations with respect to the artificial turf field. Well #1 is
located approximately 1000 feet upgradient of the artificial turf field, so it should not be affected
by PFAS from the field. Water from this well has consistently been at or below detection limits
(i.e., 2 ng/L or less) for PFAS. Well #2 is located approximately 150 feet downgradient of the
artificial turf and exceeds the Rhode Island Drinking Water Quality Standard for PFAS of 20
ng/L. In the most recent sampling (6/12/24), the concentration of PFAS in Well #2 was 61.00
ng/L, which is double the concentration detected in 2019 (30 ng/L). Drinking water is one of the
major routes of exposure for PFAS, which have a variety of potential health impacts. The most
important of these include suppression of the body’s response to vaccines and disruption of
normal liver and kidney function. (11)
The groundwater quality standard for the sum of regulated PFAS compounds (i.e., PFOS, PFOA,
PFNA, PFDA, PFHxS, and PFHpA) is 20 ng/L for the groundwater in the Burrillville area. The
Rhode Island Groundwater Quality Rules (Section 3.14(D)) identify the remedial measures that
may be required of facility owners that release a pollutant which results in a violation of the
groundwater quality standards. These measures include, but are not limited to, sampling of
private wells, installing and monitoring additional wells, providing drinking water to properties
that have had their wells impacted, and/or implementing remedial actions to restore groundwater
quality. Based on RIDOH’s review, there are private wells supplying about 20 single and
multifamily homes within a quarter mile of the proposed location of the artificial turf field. If
PFAS is present in the artificial turf and results in PFAS concentrations in groundwater above 20
ng/L, the School District and/or Town may be required to complete the remedial measures noted
above.
Pending Ban of Artificial Turf
Rhode Island recently passed the Consumer PFAS Ban Act of 2024 (the “Act”), which bans
certain uses of PFAS in covered products by January 1, 2029. This Act defines “artificial turf”
as “man-made material which simulates the appearance of live turf, organic turf, grass, sod or
lawn” and bans the manufacture, sale, or distribution of artificial turn containing intentionally
added PFAS on January 1, 2029. It should be noted that, since artificial turf fields require
periodic maintenance (e.g., replacement of the turf), any materials necessary for future
maintenance will be subject to this Act.
The following are more resources that the Town Council may wish to examine before installing
the artificial turf field:
- PFAS Testing in Artificial Turf (UMass Lowell)
- PFAS in Artificial Turf (Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute)
- Considerations for Municipalities and Institutions (Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute)
Sincerely,
Jerome Larkin, MD
Director Department of Health
Terrence Gray, P.E.
Director Department of Environmental Management
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