Natural Turf Group Questions Artificial Counterpart's Safety

Tufts University's artificial turf playing field debuted in Medford, Mass. in 2004. The field is one of more than 300 artificial turf fields installed by manufacturer A-Turf of Lancaster, Penn.

The Turfgrass Producers International (TPI) advocacy group has scheduled a series of meetings with the Environmental Protection Agency to discuss what it calls the ?EUR??,,????'?????<

According to the TPI, which represents the grass sod industry, the chemical components of artificial turf include substances like the heavy metal cadmium and silica dust, which may be dangerous to humans. Other concerns raised include ?EUR??,,????'?????<

These and other potential problems are discussed in a TPI document, ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Jim Dobmeier, president of the A-Turf artificial turf manufacturer, declined to address TPI's specific issues but said his company's product was safe for the same uses as its natural counterpart. ?EUR??,,????'?????<