Artificial turf and cancer risk a dilemma for parents

It's the quotethat sums up the story:

"For the moment, we think they are safe."

The quote comes from Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, medical health officer for the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.

He's referring to concerns about artificial turfand a possible link to soccer goalies with cancer. But his words are little comfort to Jonah Eckert, father of a 4-year-old boy and 7-year-old soccer playing girl.

"Wow, that's so vague ... that should let everyone know that much more conversation and research needs to happen."

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Eckert lives across the street from a turf field in Vancouver's Strathcona neighbourhood, and he's worried, after reading about a documentary exploring a possible link between cancer, and the ingestion of recycled rubber tire crumbs in turf fields.

"It gives me pause. I'm concerned," he said noting his daughter is playing on gravel fields for now, but will soon play on artificial turf, and both of his children have easy access to the field across the street from their home.

So many questions

The problem faced by Eckert and thousands of other soccer moms and dads is a lack of solid information. That's something experts, like Baruch Fischhoff a decision sciences professor at Carnegie Mellon University say is key to reasoned decision making.

"Give people the numbers, tell them how good the evidence is, and frame it as a decision making problem. Is this a risk you want to take, and is there some reasonable way to make the risk smaller?"

In this case, Fischhoff notes there are some numbers Julie Foudy, a former U.S. national team captain, turned ESPN journalist has gathered the names of 187 young athletes being treated for cancer. But Fischhoff says what's missing is the denominator for that figure how many other athletes who played on turf aren't sick, and how does that compare to the population at large?

There is also some advice from health officials. Wash your hands, and your clothing after playing on the fields as a precaution.

What about the soccer clubs?

The CBC spoke to soccer associations in Portland, Seattle and B.C. soccer, the umbrella group for youth soccer in British Columbia. All said they are watchingand waiting for more information. All said there is no evidence the fields are unsafe.

Regina Lundgren empathizes with the organizations. She's authored a book on risk communication and says people might look to their soccer organizations for reassurance, but the best sources of information are scientists, and people with decision making-powers such as government.

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"I'm not sure local sports authorities are either of those things, so it puts them in a very difficult position," she said.

She also cautions public officials against overstating the safety of artificial turf fields, noting history is dotted with examples of declarations of safety that were later proven wrong.

"It's a little dangerous to be absolutely adamant that there is nothing there."

Waiting game

What is clear is that any evidence suggesting a link between synthetic turf and cancer is at this point anecdotal, and much more study is needed to determine whether a link exists. The State of California will spend $3 million to study the effects of the rubber crumbs when they are ingested.

That study will take three years to complete. And though soccer associations from Portland to Vancouver say they have seen no impact on participation rates as a result of the cancer stories, Jonah Eckert says he will wait, before deciding whether his children will play on artificial turf.

"Right now I'm on the side of no, until I get more information that would turn me into a yes."