Now not even baseball fields are safe from toxic forever chemicals trends now
Cancer-linked forever chemicals have been found on samples from a Philadelphia stadium that previously hosted the city's MLB and NFL team.
Experts fear the toxins may have played a role in the brain cancer deaths of six former professional baseball players.
Four samples of the turf used at Veterans Stadium were obtained by local reporters and tested for toxins, and scientists found the turf had detectable levels of 16 PFAS 'forever chemicals'.
The since-demolished stadium opened in 1971 and served as home to the Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Eagles from then until the early 2000s.
Long-term exposure to forever chemicals have been linked to multiple cancers, kidney issues and more. Experts warn they are on all types of household goods, from baby clothes to toilet paper.
David West (pictured) is a former Phillies pitcher who died from brain cancer at age 57 last year. He was the sixth death from the cancer among players who featured for the team while it played at Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium served as home to the Philadelphia Phillies from 1971 to 2003. Recent analysis of its playing surface found the prevalence of toxic forever chemicals
The Phillies shared the stadium with the Philadelphia Eagles. There have been no reported cases of brain cancer from alums of the football team
Souvenirs of the stadium's turf were tested, and each sample was positive for the toxic chemicals
The Philadelphia Inquirer began looking into the cases after the death of David West, former pitcher for the Phillies from 1993 to 1996.
He died of brain cancer at age 57 in May of 2022, making him the sixth team alum to succumb to the disease over an 18-year span.
After his death, some called for an investigation into the field and other radar equipment used at Veterans Stadium.
Fox News Medical Contributor Dr Marc Siegel described it as a 'cluster' last year.
The Inquirer purchased four field samples from eBay. The team gave out pieces of the field to fans as souvenirs after Veterans Stadium was decommissioned in 2001,
Samples were tested by scientists at Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Environmental Testing in Central Pennsylvania, and the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
The field samples in question were used from 1971 to 1981, but a similar field surface was used during the rest of the stadium's lifetime.
Like many other products manufactured at the time, the synthetic chemicals were included in the makeup of the field to give it a slick, non-stick surface.
The city invested 1.5million in laying down the turf in 1971, launching a new stadium for Philadelphia's iconic football and baseball teams to play at.
Veterans Stadium
