U. Toledo’s environmental science department has big plans for research involving turf grass, which can be a breeding ground for many different types of harmful bacteria.
Last month, the NFL Charities awarded U. Toledo a $100,000 grant to further an investigation of turf-dwelling harmful bacteria. William Von Sigler, associate professor of environmental microbiology, heads this study with plans to identify and eliminate any threats that may live within the artificial turf grass systems.
The NFL Charities chose UT along with 16 other organizations to receive grants in order to further research projects that were already under way. UT was the only institution chosen studying infectious bacteria, while most others were studying concussions and their prevention.
“I’m kind of proud to be the only institution awarded who is studying bacteria. It’s a feather in our caps,” Sigler said.
Although synthetic turf grass can be found on both indoor and outdoor football fields, his research involves only indoor fields. The existence of bacteria on turf is a major problem because indoor conditions allow infectious bacteria to multiply infinitely. For example, because sunlight kills bacteria, limited exposure to sunlight can lead to more bacteria on indoor fields.
Sigler has two main goals for this research: First, he plans to search for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, which he refers to as the super bug. MRSA, the most common cause of staph infections, is notorious for spreading throughout football teams who use indoor facilities.
Next, Sigler will do a comprehensive study of the turf to identify all of the different bacteria present. The research will involve systematic swabbing of the artificial blades of grass and the rubber cushioning which absorb bacteria.
Each bacterium found will be studied extensively to identify whether it is harmful to players, how long it can survive in the conditions and how rapidly the bacteria can multiply. All of these factors can determine the best way to treat the issue.
He hopes to find hot spots that exist on the field, such as between hash marks and near the end zone. Bacteria could be more prevalent in those areas, according to Sigler, because those are areas in which most action takes place on the field and where the most bacteria could exist.
After obtaining knowledge on bacteria patterns, new cleaning methods can be developed for the future, preventing the spread of the infectious bacteria that have been a problem in the football community.
Sigler has enlisted the help of his friend and colleague Ron Turko of the department of agronomy and environmental sciences at Purdue University.
“We will be doing 75 percent of the work at UT and the rest will be done at Purdue,” Sigler said.
Other universities have committed to helping Sigler in his research such as Bowling Green State University and the University of Nebraska along with Purdue. They have volunteered their indoor practice facilities to test if the results will be similar at different locations. Sigler is still waiting on confirmation from other universities and some NFL teams such as the Indianapolis Colts and the Detroit Lions.
Sigler believes that this research stood out to the NFL Charities because it is a timely issue. Teams are struggling with controlling these bacteria, and it is imperative that players are as healthy as possible. Sigler and Turko are experts in this type of research and they have a solid track record together.
“We can get things done and do the job,” Sigler said.