Additional tests of Northern Valley Regional High School artificial turf fields at both Demarest and Old Tappan campuses revealed that the lead found in the fields’ green pigment is not leaching into the soil and is present in the fields’ dust in acceptable quantities.
"Our levels are negative, significantly below the state’s standard," said Business Administrator Raymond Jacobus.
"There is some trace but it is not significant. …It means you could almost touch anything and get [those levels]," said Jacobus.
The district had its environmental consultant ER&M test trimmings of its fields using Mandell Lead Inspectors, Inc., after high levels of lead were found in some artificial fields statewide. When the results came back above the state’s standard of 400 mg/Kg, the district performed additional tests on the sand below the field and of the field’s dust. These are the latest tests, which proved negative.
However, since the pigment on the fields was determined to be above the standard at both fields, a determination must be made as to whether or not to continue using the fields or replace them.
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) recommends taking certain precautions "if a field is found to have high lead levels." These include not allowing children under 7 to use the fields, watering fields down before and after use and that those who use the fields should "perform aggressive hand or body washing" after use and wash their clothes.
Jacobus said the district would try to garner community feedback on whether or not it would be willing to continue using the fields given these parameters.
A press release from the district dated June 13 stated, "The district does not want to resume using the fields unless they are safe for everyone and the community understands and is comfortable with the state guidelines."
In the meantime, the district is awaiting response from the DHSS "regarding the use of fields and the standards for non-athletic activity," particularly graduation, said Jacobus.
But arrangements have been made for graduation to take place on the track, he said.
"The results of the second tests put us in the position of being more secure that people haven’t been in danger," said Jacobus. However, given the state’s precautions he said "everyone has to have this information" and no decisions could be made until "all the players" are notified.
"We are going to have to work with our environmental consultant and the state and the board and [get] community feedback," he said.
Elliot Sloane, a spokesman for FieldTurf Tarkett, the field’s manufacturer, said FieldTurf is pleased with the results.
"As we have said and as the state of New Jersey has also stated the levels of lead within synthetic turf is not readily bio-available and as a result there are no health or safety concerns for the athletes using the field," he said.
Since the findings, FieldTurf has contended the fields are safe and the company plans to perform its own tests.
The district’s press release states that additional guidance from the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission and the United States Department of Environmental Protection may be forthcoming.
"The district will also be consulting with an epidemiologist who works with the district’s environmental consultant. In the meantime the fields will remain closed," it said.
