Are Synthetic Turf Exposures Harmful? Review California’s Assessment
Authored by: Emily Goswami, MS, CIH
On March 5, 2026, the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) released a comprehensive report evaluating the human health risks from potential for exposure to chemicals in crumb rubber infill, used on synthetic turf fields.
Nearly all synthetic turf fields utilize crumb rubber from recycled tires. As a result, synthetic turf playing field materials may contain metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) including polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs), 6PPD and 6-PPD quinone (tire additives), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Concerns regarding potential health risks associated with exposure to these chemicals contained in synthetic turf began in the early 2000s. In response to the ongoing concerns, OEHHA’s study focuses on exposures to crumb rubber during field activities for adults and children. OEHHA evaluated potential exposure via inhalation, incidental ingestion, and dermal contact for multiple activity scenarios for athletes, referees, coaches, and spectators (including infants, children, pregnant women, and their fetuses).
These exposure scenarios relied on extensive sampling data, including hundreds of air and crumb rubber samples, and incorporated frequency and duration of field use data from over 1,000 soccer players. OEHHA also assessed a range of toxicity/risk endpoints, including acute toxicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, sensory irritation, general chronic toxicity, and cancer risk.
OEHHA concluded: “Overall, this risk assessment study, focusing on chemicals in crumb rubber infill, found no significant health risks to players, coaches, referees and spectators from on-field or off-field exposure to field-related chemicals in crumb rubber infill from synthetic turf fields based on available data.”
OEHHA identified several noteworthy study limitations including the following: 1) the study evaluated exposures to crumb rubber infill only, and not backing materials such as grass blade components; 2) the study did not assess the degradation products including microplastics and particles; and 3) the study did not address field runoff or ecological impact. This study will likely be used to inform public policy regarding use of synthetic turf and management of tire waste in California and beyond.
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