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Investigative report finds dangerous chemicals in turf at former Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia
Investigative Reporter Barbara Laker joins "Good Day Philadelphia" to discuss a Philadelphia Inquirer investigation into dangerous chemicals in the turf at Veterans Stadium.
PHILADELPHIA - An investigative report conducted by the Philadelphia Inquirer discovered the presence of dangerous chemicals in the turf at the old Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.
The report was sparked by the deaths of six Philadelphia Phillies players who died from an aggressive form of brain cancer before 60, according to the Inquirer.
Their deaths led to investigations of the artificial turf at Veterans Stadium, where they all played.
An investigative report by the Philadelphia Inquirer found PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, in the turf from the old Veterans Stadium. (Jessica Griffin / The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Investigative reporter Barbara Laker from the Philadelphia Inquirer joined Good Day Philadelphia to discuss the investigation and its implications.
The Inquirer team purchased samples of the old turf sold when the stadium closed and sent them to a lab in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for testing.
Lab results revealed the presence of PFAS in the turf.
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Laker says an investigative team spent months talking to experts about the dangers of PFAS, also known as forever chemicals and linked to several forms of cancer.
"They call these chemicals forever chemicals because they stay in the environment forever. They stay in your body for years. They don't go away," she said. "And so that's why people are concerned about them."
An investigative report by the Philadelphia Inquirer found PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, in the turf from the old Veterans Stadium. (Jessica Griffin / The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Laker's team says experts hope this will bring awareness to the need for more PFAS testing to better understand how it impacts health.