What to know about ‘forever chemicals,’ artificial turf, Phillies cancer deaths, and our story
Experts say data is lacking to understand the risks of inhaling PFAS or by coming into repeated contact with it on a playing field.
Longtime Philadelphia sports fans remember these names: Tug McGraw. Darren Daulton. John Vukovich. John Oates. Ken Brett. David West.
All six played for the Phillies. And all six died of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. All were younger than 60.
And all played at Veterans Stadium on a field that was considered state-of-the-art, a so-called “magic carpet”: artificial turf. But in recent years, environmentalists, scientists and researchers have expressed growing concern that the chemicals in the turf could possibly be linked to some kinds of cancer and other health problems.
» READ MORE: Six former Phillies died from the same brain cancer. We tested the Vet’s turf and found dangerous chemicals.
What chemicals were in the artificial turf at Veterans Stadium?
Among the chemicals found in AstroTurf are PFAS, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances — so-called “forever chemicals,” which the EPA has said cause “adverse health effects that can devastate families.”
They are found in a host of products, from turf and nonstick cookware to firefighting gear and food packaging. Few of the estimated 12,000 PFAS have been extensively studied.
Why are they called ‘forever chemicals?’
They don’t break down in the environment. In the case of artificial turf, PFAS can seep into the soil or wash into the water supply. They stay in the human body for years.
How do we know for sure that the turf contained these chemicals?
The Inquirer obtained pieces of the turf that was on the field at Veterans Stadium from 1977 to 1981. Tests run on those samples by Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Environmental Testing found the turf contained 16 different types of PFAS. Researchers at the University of Notre Dame tested additional samples of the Vet’s turf, and also found the chemicals.
» READ MORE: How we were able to test artificial turf from Veterans Stadium and what the tests showed
Do we know if this caused the Phillies to die of brain cancer?
Experts say that there isn’t sufficient data to fully understand the potential risks of inhaling forever chemicals, or coming in repeated contact with them on a playing surface. Thus far, there have been no studies linking forever chemicals to brain cancer.
Recent international studies have found PFAS chemicals in the human brain, including in tumors. The chemicals have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, decreased fertility and immunity to fight infections, and increased risks of asthma and thyroid disease. The rate of brain cancer among the 532 Phillies who played at the Vet between 1971 and 2003 is about three times the average rate among adult men. Experts say that could be coincidental, given the small size of the group.
How many stadiums still use artificial turf and how many playing fields in Philadelphia are not real grass?
Just five of Major League Baseball’s 30 teams play on artificial turf; 14 of the NFL’s 30 stadiums have it. FIFA, professional soccer’s governing body, insists on natural grass fields for World Cup matches.
Philadelphia maintains five public turf fields in South, North, and Northeast Philly. An additional six artificial turf fields are managed by the School District of Philadelphia. And the city plans to include a dozen new artificial turf fields as part of its $250 million renovation of FDR Park in South Philly, despite opposition from some residents and environmentalists.
Has artificial turf and other products with PFAS been banned or restricted?
Yes.
Several towns in Massachusetts and California have put in place moratoriums on artificial turf; Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont have bills at the state level to ban fake grass. Maine prohibits the sale of rugs, carpets and fabric treatments that contain PFAS. Even chemical giant 3M announced in December it will no longer use PFAS after 2025.
What is the EPA doing about this potential hazard?
Last summer, as a preliminary step, the EPA published drinking water health advisory levels for two of the most widely used PFAS chemicals, PFOS and PFOA.
These levels, when the EPA officially adopts them, will require municipalities to essentially eliminate PFAS from their drinking water. The EPA is expected to make the limits enforceable soon. The agency has also published a multi-year plan to study and address PFAS contamination across the country.
» READ MORE: Artificial turf was once touted as a ‘magic carpet.’ Here’s the timeline of its tangled past.
Could others be at risk?
Yes.
These same chemicals lurk in the turnout gear that firefighters wear to protect themselves on the job. Cancer has now emerged as their leading cause of occupational death, making up 75% of active-duty firefighter deaths in 2019.
Drinking water contaminated with PFAS is also hazardous. A former Navy base in Warminster and another in Willow Grove used firefighting foam containing PFAS that has leached into the public water supply. As part of a national study, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is examining the human health effects of PFAS on people who live near those two former bases.