August 04, 2025

Ep. 236: microplastics, major problems

2 hours 10 minutes

In 1965, AstroTurf was created. This has made a lot of people dead or maimed and been widely regarded as a bad move.

Highlights:

[0:00] Corrigan tells Marko about the happy little forever chemicals in the fake grass that covers our parks and sports facilities
[56:45] We unpack the implications of the cold open, Corrigan explains the Presidential Fitness Test
[01:13:30] What we watched: War of the Worlds, Apollo 13, The Exorcist III, The Fantastic Four, KPop Demon Hunters, Rope, La Haine, 28 Years Later, Cold Skin

Stuff we referenced:

Turf Wars - Science History Institute

Safe Healthy Playing Fields

ARTIFICIAL TURF TRAPS HEAT, DOESN'T HAVE THE COOLING PROPERTIES OF GRASS

"HIGH TEMPS ON TURF FIELDS SPARK SAFETY CONCERNS"

Did Artificial Turf Give More Than 200 Soccer Players Cancer?

Soccer players’ cancers ignite debate over turf safety

Synthetic Turf and Crumb Rubber - Washington State Department of Health

Position Statement on the Use of Artificial Turf Surfaces - Mt. Sinai

Monsanto-Made AstroTurf Linked to Fatal Brain Cancer of Six Former Phillies Players

The Grounds on Which We Play: The Dangers of Artificial Turf Fields

As the world heats up, so does the debate around artificial turf

Artificial Turf Health Risks

Synthetic Turf is HAZARDOUS

New Testing Reveals High Levels of Toxic PFAS in Artificial Turf

Understanding PFAS - What They Are, Their Impact, and What We Can Do

PFAS - Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances - US Department of Veterans Affairs

David West is the Sixth Former Phillie Since 2003 to Die From Brain Cancer

Investigation Links Astroturf to Deaths of Six Former Phillies

Health impacts of artificial turf: Toxicity studies, challenges, and future directions

6 former Phillies have died of brain cancer: ‘It’s a cluster and it needs to be examined,’ doctor says

Mystery Philadelphia Brain Cancer Baseball Cluster: No Link To Astroturf Say Leading Experts- So What Is the Answer?

...more

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By Jack of All Graves

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