Determining the concentration of lead in MIT athletic facilities and estimating student-athlete exposure to lead
Name
1028981191-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
6.29 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
59242c7235df1de08880731cf690a010
Author(s)
Barnard, Alison M
Advisor(s)
Samuel A. Bowring.
Date Issued
2009
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
In April of 2008, there were reports of elevated lead levels in several AstroTurf surfaced fields in New Jersey that motivated this investigation of MIT's synthetic turf field and other athletic facilities for elevated lead levels. I have analyzed samples of chalk, paint, dust, water, air, and synthetic turf fibers for lead concentration and isotopic composition by thermal ionization mass spectrometry. Additionally, blood lead levels were tested in a student-athlete and a non-athlete for control. The synthetic turf, water, chalk, and air analyzed from the athletic facilities were found to pose no significant lead hazard for student-athletes using the facilities, and the tested student-athlete had a normal blood lead level. The dust and paint did not pose a significant hazard to student athletes, but hazardous levels of lead were found in some dust and paint samples. It is recommended that further studies of the lead in duPont Gymnasium paint and Rockwell and duPont Gymnasium dust be performed and the potential hazards to be investigated.
Description
Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2009.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 63-66).
Subjects
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
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