Athletic fields are not always grass and dirt! Many community, private, and professional fields for recreation are made of artificial turf. Athletes of all ages and experiences can be directly exposed to the turf while playing, particularly through skin contact and inhalation.
Plastic green blades on the top layer resemble grass but, hidden, multiple levels of synthetic polymers support the faux grass. The subterranean layers are comprised of complex arrangements of chemicals, including plastics and crumb rubber. Crumb rubber, derived from old tires and therefore a petroleum product, is a well-known carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). A litany of analytical chemistry papers detail the presence of multiple toxicants (phthalates, bisphenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals) in artificial turf leachate, with the types and amounts varying based on brand and weathering. Thus, artificial turf could negatively affect human and non-human animal health through leachate exposure.
Plastic green blades on the top layer resemble grass but, hidden, multiple levels of synthetic polymers support the faux grass. The subterranean layers are comprised of complex arrangements of chemicals, including plastics and crumb rubber. Crumb rubber, derived from old tires and therefore a petroleum product, is a well-known carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). A litany of analytical chemistry papers detail the presence of multiple toxicants (phthalates, bisphenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals) in artificial turf leachate, with the types and amounts varying based on brand and weathering. Thus, artificial turf could negatively affect human and non-human animal health through leachate exposure.
One particularly intriguing (insidious?) way that artificial turf can negatively impact organic life is through endocrine disruption. Endocrine receptors accommodate different ligands (chemicals that bind to them) through drastic changes in structure and orientation. It is not unreasonable that some chemicals in artificial turf could bind to a hormone receptor and change its activity, either increasing (agonism) or decreasing (antagonism).
In vitro endocrine and cardiometabolic toxicity from artificial turf materials
One of my projects investigates if labmade artificial turf leachate interacts with hormone receptors and, if so, which ones. Based on turf samples generously provided by groups from Massachusetts, Michigan, Maryland, New Jersey, and New Hampshire, I am using in vitro techniques (reporter assays) to determine which receptors can be activated or repressed by artificial turf. We're also linking receptor activity to in vitro effects on specialized cell types, namely PPARg effects on fat cell development and AhR on cardiotoxicity.
I have presented results from this work at local meetings (Wayne State, Midwest Pharmacology Colloquium) as well as national conferences (Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting 2023 [Nashville, TN; poster] and 2024 [Salt Lake City, UT; platform]).
The paper documenting this research was published in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology - the journal like can be found here!
I have presented results from this work at local meetings (Wayne State, Midwest Pharmacology Colloquium) as well as national conferences (Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting 2023 [Nashville, TN; poster] and 2024 [Salt Lake City, UT; platform]).
The paper documenting this research was published in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology - the journal like can be found here!
In vivo endocrine and cardiometabolic toxicity from artificial turf materials
Additionally, current Kassotis lab postdoctoral fellow Dr. Roxanne Bérubé and I are conducted early developmental exposures in zebrafish to link our observed in vitro effects on PPARg and AhR to in vivo outcomes (adipogenesis and cardiotoxicity, respectively). Experiments are currently underway. We're also collaborating with Dr. Chung-Ho Lin (U. Missouri) to identify targeted toxicants in our labmade turf leachate samples and better understand causative molecules driving our observed phenotypes.
Experiments are on-going; science is never linear
Experiments are on-going; science is never linear
