Communities are questioning the safety of synthetic turf fields due to concerns about the presence of PFAS chemicals, which are linked to potential health risks.
Leah Sarnoff reports for ABC News.
In short:
- Synthetic turf, praised for its low maintenance and environmental benefits, may contain PFAS chemicals, raising health concerns.
- The EPA and FDA are making moves to understand and limit PFAS exposure, but the complete impact on health remains uncertain.
- Despite the concerns, the synthetic turf industry continues to grow, with thousands of installations occurring annually across the United States.
Key quote:
"Think about the wisdom of putting down acres of plastic in the year 2024... and then allowing athletes to go play on that for hours a week. To me, it doesn't pass the straight-face test."
— Dr. Kyla Bennett, director of science policy for PEER
Why this matters:
Synthetic turf, favored for its low maintenance and year-round green appeal, often contains ‘forever chemicals’, used to enhance the durability of the artificial grass blades and to weatherproof the material. The concern is that as these fields wear down or are disposed of, PFAS can leach into the environment, contaminating soil and water sources.
With heightened awareness around the country about the health effects of PFAS, calculations for what artificial turf installations actually cost over their full lifetime may send a shock through the artificial turf industry.
