City of New York Uses FlexSand Action Infill to Guard Against Lead Exposure on Synthetic Turf Field

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan 22, 2009 -
NEW YORK CITY – The city of New York – the largest purchaser and operator of synthetic turf playing fields in the United States – is using a new type of synthetic turf infill, FlexSand® Action, on an athletic field for the first time in response to concerns about lead and other heavy metals found in some traditional infill materials.  
A representative with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation said the department specified that FlexSand Action infill and NewGrass® artificial turf be installed on a 50,000-square-foot athletic field at Highland Park that straddles the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn partially due to concerns about lead and other heavy metals.  The department has not used crumb rubber infill on its synthetic turf fields since April because of concerns about the potentially toxic constituents of the material and the fact that it raises the overall temperature of playing fields significantly.  Crumb rubber infill made from pulverized used rubber tires has served as the primary cushioning agent on artificial turf athletic fields nationwide for the past several years.  
Mineral Visions, Inc., a Chardon, Ohio company that provides specialty coated quartz products for a range of industries, developed FlexSand Action for improved technical performance and enhanced health safety over traditional infill materials, General Manager Maureen Lynn said.  “Our intention was to provide an integrated solution combining the ballast of quartz with the shock absorption performance of an engineered elastomer while considering the environmental impact,” Lynn said.  “This system is not a repurposed material. It was specifically developed for synthetic turf applications.
“In our product development, we targeted shock absorption inconsistency, material separation issues, electrostatic problems, field heat build-up, future infill disposal and health concerns,” Lynn said. “As a result of our efforts we have engineered a truly superior system using an FDA approved elastomer as part of the system.  For example, a field that uses FlexSand Action will be about 20° F cooler during the day than a similar-sized field using a traditional infill.”
Michael Riley, regional sales representative for the company that supplied the NewGrass turf for the Highland Park and 15 other athletic fields in New York City during the past three years, said customers are expressing more interest in learning whether his company’s product contains heavy metals.  Riley said NewGrass turf sold by Montreal, Canada-based Sport Surface has been certified under international standards regarding heavy metals as safe for use without restriction, as evidenced by the fact the material can be recycled and disposed of as a regular waste product.  
For more information about the FlexSand product, please refer to the product’s website at www.flexsand.com or contact Tim McMillin, director of marketing and product development at 815-209-9700.   For media inquiries regarding this release or photos to illustrate the story, please contact Matthew Gryczan at mgryczan@alexandermarketing.com or call 616-957-2000.