STC issues statement on PFAS issue

In response to a recent article about hazardous PFAS chemicals in synthetic turf, the Synthetic Turf Council (STC) issued the following statement:

A recent story published by The Intercept, a decidedly biased media outlet, purported to show PFAS found in synthetic turf fields based on research done by the Ecology Center and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The Coalition for Better Fields and Surfaces has significant concerns with the legitimacy of this report. PFAS stands for a broad group of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds that are commonly used in many everyday products such as fast-food takeout containers, nonstick pans and pizza boxes. Due to the widespread use of PFAS, testing for the compounds runs a high risk of cross contamination and false positive results. To our knowledge, the Ecology Center findings did not eliminate the risk of cross contamination nor have the results been independently verified by a state Department of Health or Environmental Protection Agency. Further, the test method used by the Ecology Center and PEER in their report to claim the presence of PFAS only detects total fluorine, not specifically PFAS. It is unfortunate that PEER and the Ecology Center issued this inaccurate, non-verified report using questionable test methods and presented it as fact.