It’s amazing more thought wasn’t given to the prospects for poison athletic surfaces long before now. Certainly there have been enough signs there might be perils.

Currently, most football fields are being checked in Ohio after New Jersey health officials said they found high levels of lead in artificial turf on two of their fields. An official at Ohio State University says it plans to test the new surface at Ohio Stadium to make sure it is safe. Pigment containing a lead compound is used to make some turf green and hold its color in sunlight. Little wonder there are concerns.

The artificial turf industry, predictably, denies any of its products are dangerous. However, there is enough evidence to get the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission to begin an investigation. The Ohio High School Athletic Assn. says it has not received any calls of concern from student athletes. But have there been problems elsewhere with artificial turf pigmented with a lead compound or anything like it? New Jersey may not be alone.

From the outset, there have been doubts about the merits of various types of artificial surfacing for athletic events. When Kansas University installed such “rugs” in the 1960s, there were immediately unforeseen problems involving injury. For example, KU football players soon were wearing special pads for elbows. Harsh contact between body parts and the new turf led to abrasions that, untreated immediately, over time developed into infections.

Over the years, there have been many innovations and alterations involving artificial surfacing for many events. Hopefully, the refinements have been sufficient to prevent harmful substances from being absorbed and inhaled. But the New Jersey and Ohio experiences provide new fodder for serious checkups that could lead to improved health status for turf-users.

It is interesting to note that when Major League Baseball teams first began installing artificial turf, outspoken Philadelphia star Dick Allen objected, saying, “If a horse can’t eat it, I don’t want to play on it.” While he for the most part lost his case, he had many who did, and still do, maintain a desire for natural playing surfaces.

Except … what are the dangers of weed-killers, insect repellents and special fertilizers employed in keeping natural grass fields in proper shape? This may be a whole new field for study.