Turf, cancer and legal claims

Who can ask about a turf claim?

Start with the field you used and the harm you want checked. Ask a lawyer what evidence is needed for a claim. Turf use alone is not a decision that you qualify.

Describe your concern in your own words. Note whether you played, coached, worked at the field or attended events. Write the field’s name and location, the years you used it and any changes you remember. Keep uncertainty in the note rather than turning a rough memory into a precise date.

Keep any field records you already have, such as schedules, team records or photos with dates. Ask the owner whether it has information about the field’s installation and materials. Make that a request for records; you do not need to guess the brand or composition from a photo.

The research discussed here does not decide whether you have a viable legal claim. OEHHA studied a defined component and exposure scenarios. Ask the reviewing lawyer how the evidence applies to your facts and what additional medical or legal work would be needed.

What could I get from a claim?

Ask whether there is a viable claim and what harm it could cover. The old turf sales order does not set a cancer payout. This page gives no payment estimate.

Ask the lawyer to explain what you would need to prove and what records would support the harm you describe. Make a separate list of expenses and losses you want reviewed. Include a receipt or other record where you have one, and label an estimate clearly.

The 2017 transfer order is about coordinating cases; it is not an award for a reader with cancer. It does not supply a personal payment amount. Using that order to attach a dollar range to an injury claim would go beyond the record.

If someone gives you a number, ask for its source and whether it is an estimate, an actual award or an offer with conditions. Ask what fees and expenses would be deducted. Avoid planning around a figure until the person reviewing your case explains what it means.

What deadline should I check?

Give a lawyer your dates and locations. Ask which time limit applies to your claim. Do not pick a deadline from this page.

The court’s general guide explains that a time limit depends on the claim and the law. It does not calculate your deadline. A date printed on an old article or another person’s court order is not a substitute for checking the law that applies to you.

Make a date list before the call. Include the events you remember, when you first learned of the concern, when you sought care, and any notice or agreement you received. Mark uncertain dates as estimates. Ask which of these dates matters to the legal check.

Ask whether an earlier lawsuit, signed release, claim form or lawyer relationship affects the next step. If you already have counsel, start with that lawyer and avoid signing a second agreement before discussing what it would mean. Keep copies of any advice or instructions you receive.

What happens after I ask for a check?

Ask who will read the file and who will contact you. Ask about the fee agreement and the next step. A request for review is not a promise of payment.

Use the first conversation to ask how the firm would evaluate your facts. Ask what information is missing, what would change its view and whether it can explain its reasoning in writing. Keep the name of the person you spoke to and the date of the conversation.

Before agreeing to representation, read the fee and expense terms. The ABA model rule provides a useful starting point for questions about a contingent fee. It does not establish the services offered by this website or the terms a lawyer will propose to you.

Ask whether the next step is a records request, a medical opinion, a legal filing or a decision not to proceed. Ask who must act and by when. If the answer is unclear, ask for it in plain language before treating the conversation as an instruction to file.

Sources and dates checked

Use the source links to check what the page relies on. Read the date and the limits with each finding. Ask about updates before relying on a court record.

The evidence notes below identify the agency or court, the source date and the scope of its conclusion. Check whether a source concerns a sales dispute, exposure measurements or modeled health risk. Ask the reviewer to explain how those different records relate to the concern you have brought.

How Artificial Turf Crumb Rubber Causes Cancer: Chemical Exposure Pathways

Artificial turf fields use infill made from crumb rubber — ground-up recycled tires — to cushion impacts and simulate the feel of natural grass. Independent chemical analyses have identified over 306 distinct chemicals in crumb rubber, including at least 52 known or suspected carcinogens. These chemicals include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals (lead, cadmium, zinc, chromium), volatile organic compounds (VOCs including benzene and toluene), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, from turf blade coatings). Athletes — particularly youth soccer, football, and lacrosse players — are exposed to this chemical cocktail through three primary pathways: inhalation of volatile chemicals and particulate matter released from heated turf, ingestion of crumb rubber particles that enter the mouth during play, and dermal absorption through skin contact with rubber infill and turf surfaces. Field surface temperatures routinely exceed 150°F (65°C) on sunny days, dramatically increasing the volatilization and off-gassing of carcinogenic compounds. The University of Washington's investigation of a goalkeeper cancer cluster and Yale University's comprehensive chemical analysis have established the scientific foundation for growing concern about the cancer risk posed by crumb rubber turf fields.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Exposure

Crumb rubber contains high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons — a class of chemicals formed during the vulcanization of tires and from the carbon black and petroleum-derived oils used in tire manufacturing. PAHs including benzo[a]pyrene, naphthalene, chrysene, and fluoranthene have been detected in crumb rubber at levels that exceed residential soil screening standards in many states. When turf surface temperatures rise above 120°F — which occurs routinely on sunny days — PAHs volatilize into the breathing zone of athletes, particularly those in ground-level positions such as soccer goalkeepers and football linemen. PAHs are classified as Group 1 (known) or Group 2A/2B (probable/possible) human carcinogens by IARC and are associated with cancers of the lung, bladder, skin, and blood (leukemia and lymphoma).

Heavy Metal Contamination (Lead, Cadmium, Zinc, Chromium)

Recycled tires contain heavy metals from tire manufacturing additives, road surface deposits, and brake dust accumulated during the tire's road life. Crumb rubber analyses have detected lead, cadmium, zinc, and hexavalent chromium at levels that raise health concerns, particularly for children and young athletes whose developing bodies are more susceptible to heavy metal toxicity. Lead is a known neurotoxicant with no safe level of exposure in children. Cadmium is classified as a Group 1 human carcinogen by IARC. Zinc concentrations in crumb rubber can be 100 to 1,000 times higher than background soil levels, and zinc leachate from turf fields has been documented contaminating stormwater and adjacent waterways.

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Off-Gassing

Crumb rubber releases volatile organic compounds including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX), methyl ethyl ketone, and 4-(tert-butyl)phenol. Benzene is a Group 1 human carcinogen known to cause leukemia and other blood cancers. VOC off-gassing from crumb rubber increases exponentially with temperature — field measurements have shown VOC concentrations over turf surfaces that are 2 to 5 times higher than ambient air during summer conditions. Indoor turf facilities, which lack natural ventilation, can accumulate VOCs to levels that exceed occupational exposure guidelines. Athletes exercising at high intensity on artificial turf have elevated respiratory rates, increasing their inhalation dose of VOCs per unit of body weight compared to resting exposure assessments.

PFAS Contamination from Turf Blade Coatings

Research published in 2019 and subsequent years has identified per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — often called 'forever chemicals' — in artificial turf blade coatings. PFAS are used in manufacturing to reduce friction and improve durability of synthetic turf fibers. Studies have detected PFAS leaching from artificial turf into stormwater and groundwater at concentrations exceeding EPA health advisories. PFAS exposure is associated with kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, and immune system suppression. The combination of PFAS in turf blades and PAHs/metals in crumb rubber infill means that athletes are exposed to multiple classes of carcinogens simultaneously.

Three Exposure Pathways: Inhalation, Ingestion, Dermal

Athletes on artificial turf are exposed to crumb rubber chemicals through three simultaneous routes. Inhalation: volatilized PAHs, VOCs, and fine rubber particulate matter are inhaled during vigorous exercise, when respiratory rate and tidal volume are elevated. Ingestion: crumb rubber particles enter the mouth through hand-to-mouth contact, water bottle contamination, and direct ingestion during ground-level play — studies have documented crumb rubber particles in athletes' mouths, nostrils, ears, and wound abrasions. Dermal absorption: skin contact with heated turf surfaces and crumb rubber allows lipophilic chemicals (particularly PAHs) to absorb through the skin, especially through turf burns and abrasions that compromise the skin barrier. The cumulative effect of three simultaneous exposure pathways increases the total body burden of carcinogens beyond what any single-pathway risk assessment would predict.

• 306+ Chemicals Identified in Crumb Rubber: Independent analyses have identified over 306 chemicals in crumb rubber infill, including at least 52 known or suspected carcinogens. No comprehensive safety assessment has evaluated the combined effect of simultaneous exposure to this chemical mixture.
• 12,000+ Crumb Rubber Fields in the United States: An estimated 12,000 to 13,000 artificial turf fields with crumb rubber infill are installed across the U.S., predominantly at schools, parks, and youth athletic facilities where children and adolescents are the primary users.
• Surface Temperatures Exceeding 150°F: Artificial turf surface temperatures routinely reach 140-180°F on sunny days — dramatically hotter than natural grass (75-85°F) under the same conditions. These extreme temperatures accelerate the off-gassing of volatile carcinogens from crumb rubber.
• Youth Athletes at Highest Risk: Children and adolescents are more vulnerable to environmental carcinogens than adults due to higher respiratory rates per body weight, developing organ systems, longer remaining lifetime for cancer to develop, and more frequent ground-level contact with turf and infill during play.
• The EPA and ATSDR launched the Federal Research Action Plan on Recycled Tire Crumb in 2016 to study the potential health risks of crumb rubber turf fields after public concern escalated
• Yale University's 2019 comprehensive chemical analysis identified over 300 chemicals in crumb rubber, with multiple known carcinogens present at measurable concentrations
• The University of Washington investigation documented a statistically unusual cluster of cancer cases among soccer players, particularly goalkeepers, who had extensive exposure to crumb rubber fields
• California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has listed multiple chemicals found in crumb rubber under Proposition 65 as known carcinogens
• The European Union has proposed restricting PAH concentrations in rubber granules used in artificial turf, with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) recommending limits that would effectively require reformulation of crumb rubber infill

The artificial turf cancer litigation targets the manufacturers and installers of crumb rubber turf fields — including FieldTurf, AstroTurf, and other industry participants — alleging that they knew or should have known about the carcinogenic chemicals in their products and failed to warn consumers, schools, municipalities, and athletes about the cancer risk. The litigation is supported by chemical analyses documenting hundreds of carcinogens in crumb rubber, epidemiological investigations of cancer clusters among turf-exposed athletes, and the industry's historical resistance to independent safety testing. For affected families — many of whom are parents of children who played on crumb rubber fields for years — the litigation seeks accountability for an industry that prioritized profits over the health of youth athletes.

Regulatory Actions on Artificial Turf Crumb Rubber: Federal Research, State Settlements, and European Restrictions

The regulatory response to artificial turf health concerns has been characterized by delayed federal action, state-level litigation and settlements, and more aggressive European Union proposals to restrict carcinogenic chemicals in rubber granules. In the United States, the EPA and ATSDR launched a multi-year federal research program in 2016 but have not issued binding safety standards for crumb rubber. Meanwhile, California achieved a landmark settlement requiring chemical disclosure, and the EU has moved toward enforceable limits on PAH content in rubber infill.

The regulatory landscape for artificial turf crumb rubber is defined by a gap between the volume of scientific evidence documenting carcinogenic chemicals in these products and the absence of enforceable U.S. safety standards. The EU has moved toward binding PAH limits, California has achieved disclosure settlements, and multiple states are considering restrictions — but the federal government has not issued protective standards despite a multi-year research program confirming the presence of dozens of carcinogens in crumb rubber used at fields where children play daily.