Concerned mom urges parents to check children's exposure to dangerous common material: 'No one is talking about this'

A viral video shows a mom worried about her son's exposure to toxins in artificial turf — and has many commenters rethinking their own use of synthetic grass.

In the video, TikToker Beatrice the Anti-Plastic Lady (@antiplasticlady) mentions several anecdotes from people who spent significant time playing on turf fields, only to later be diagnosed with cancer.

@antiplasticlady Replying to @@@⃝꙰⃝꙰⃝꙰⃝꙰⃝꙰⃝꙰⃝꙰⃝꙰⃝꙰⃝ this amount of anectdotal evidence isn't negligible - its called citizen journalism. ALL ASTROTURF IS TOXIC EVEN IF IT HAS A DIFFERENT INFILL: @Beatrice, CEO of Tabor Place and here: @Beatrice, CEO of Tabor Place and playgrounds: @Beatrice, CEO of Tabor Place #toxicchemicals #pfas #cancercausing #foreverchemicals #astroturf #rubbermulch #recycledtires #playgroundmulch #leadcontamination #citizenjournalism #todayilearned #crumbrubber ♬ original sound - Beatrice the Anti-Plastic Lady

"It's truly shocking," she says, "and no one is talking about this."

She adds that she reached out to her son's school — which was planning a major renovation to its campus — and asked officials to not use crumb rubber, which is often paired with artificial turf to make the product softer when people run on it.

There isn't conclusive evidence linking artificial turf and cancer, but research and investigations have shown possible links. 

One prominent example came from an investigation into six deaths of former Philadelphia Phillies players. Each player spent most of their career playing on synthetic turf at Veterans Stadium, and each died of glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer, before turning 60.

Artificial turf often contains forever chemicals, which can seep into soil below or nearby waterways, and which are linked to cancer. It releases microplastics into the environment. It also doesn't provide any of the same benefits to wildlife and the local ecosystem as a natural lawn — including those made of clover or buffalo grass — or native plants.

Native plants save time and money. They don't require a lot of resources such as water, cutting down on bills, and they don't need a lot of maintenance. Even a partial lawn replacement can reduce water bills and save time. Native plants also provide a healthy ecosystem for pollinators, which help protect our food supply. 

Turf that includes crumb rubber can be damaging. The tiny rubber particles leach pollutants into the environment, are easily ingested, and can be fuel for wildfires.

The European Union has taken a strong stand, banning crumb rubber as a filler for artificial turf. It's also become a hot-button topic in the United States, with California's Santa Clara County discussing a ban on artificial turf on county-owned land.

Do you worry about having toxic forever chemicals in your home? Majorly 😥 Sometimes 😟 Not really 😐 I don't know enough about them 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Commenters thanked Beatrice for the video, with several saying it prompted them to take action in their homes and neighborhoods.

"Currently digging the top 6 inches out of my entire backyard because it has crumb rubber mixed in," one user wrote.

Another TikToker said, "I was literally designing my new backyard with turf until I saw your video."

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