Resources for communities looking for alternatives to artificial turf field system installation, and anyone who would like help making referenced arguments against choosing synthetic fields. View a map of synthetic turf moratoriums below.
For athletic fields, natural grass is the safest, coolest, most cost-effective solution. Organic turf management maximizes these benefits.
Grass info:
Grass programs:
For playgrounds the safest surfacing options are natural materials properly installed and maintained. Examples of safer alternatives include cork, engineered wood fiber (EWF), self binding gravel, playground sand, and natural grass.
Grass info:
- Athletic Playing Fields - Lowell Center for Sustainable Production
- Solutions for Safer Turf - Healthy Buildings Network
- Natural Grass Athletic Fields - SFMA
- Case Studies of Natural Grass Fields
Grass programs:
For playgrounds the safest surfacing options are natural materials properly installed and maintained. Examples of safer alternatives include cork, engineered wood fiber (EWF), self binding gravel, playground sand, and natural grass.
Ethics
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"Members of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) should make every effort within our sphere of influence to enhance, respect, and restore the life-sustaining integrity of the landscape for all living things."
- the American Society of Landscape Architects Code of Environmental Ethics |
Heat
HeAt Related illness
Young children are at a higher risk from heat related illness because they are unable to regulate their body temperature the same as adults. Athletes are at a higher risk from dehydration, heatstroke, and thermal burns when playing on artificial turf because it gets much hotter than natural grass, even hotter than asphalt or concrete.
- The Heat is On: High Temperatures Increase Health Risks of Artificial Turf
- Injuries Related to Artificial Turf
- John Abraham (2019) Heat risks associated with synthetic athletic fields, International Journal of Hyperthermia, 36:1, 515-516, DOI: 10.1080/02656736.2019.1605096
Heat island effect
Heat is an issue from synthetic turf regardless of geographic area. Record high temperatures have been measured at 200 degrees in Utah, and 175 degrees in Pennsylvania. Climate change means unsafe field temperatures will become a more common occurrence.
According to the EPA, impacts of the "heat island" effect include:
According to the EPA, impacts of the "heat island" effect include:
- increased energy consumption
- elevated emissions of air pollutants and green house gases
- compromised human health and comfort
- impaired water quality
Injury
concussion
Because artificial fields are harder than natural grass and soil, playing on synthetic fields may increase concussion risk from direct contact.
Athletes may have higher risk of concussion on artificial grass, New Scientist, October 7, 2022 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2341481-athletes-may-have-higher-risk-of-concussion-on-artificial-grass/
lower torso injury
Since artificial turf has less give the natural grass, torsion injuries are more common in the ankle, knee and hip area.
Mack CD, Hershman EB, Anderson RB, et al. Higher Rates of Lower Extremity Injury on Synthetic Turf Compared With Natural Turf Among National Football League Athletes: Epidemiologic Confirmation of a Biomechanical Hypothesis. The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2019;47(1):189-196. doi:10.1177/0363546518808499
Paliobeis, A., Sivasundaram, L., Knapik, D. M., Labelle, M. W., Olson, M., Karns, M. R., Salata, M. J., & Voos, J. E. (2021). Injury incidence is higher on artificial turf compared with natural grass in high school athletes: A retrospective cohort study. Current Orthopaedic Practice, 32(4), 355-360. https://doi.org/10.1097/BCO.0000000000001012
Paliobeis, A., Sivasundaram, L., Knapik, D. M., Labelle, M. W., Olson, M., Karns, M. R., Salata, M. J., & Voos, J. E. (2021). Injury incidence is higher on artificial turf compared with natural grass in high school athletes: A retrospective cohort study. Current Orthopaedic Practice, 32(4), 355-360. https://doi.org/10.1097/BCO.0000000000001012
turf burn & turf toe
These are injuries that are most common or even unique to synthetic turf athletic fields.
- "Turf burn" is an abrasion injury from friction with the plastic carpet blades. These wounds can become infected with staphylococcus aureus and MRSA. Burns from heat can also occur.
- "Turf toe" is a hyperextension of the big toe joint that is more common on artificial fields.
Begier EM, Frenette K, Barrett NL, Mshar P, Petit S, Boxrud DJ, Watkins-Colwell K, Wheeler S, Cebelinski EA, Glennen A, Nguyen D, Hadler JL; Connecticut Bioterrorism Field Epidemiology Response Team. A high-morbidity outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among players on a college football team, facilitated by cosmetic body shaving and turf burns. Clin Infect Dis. 2004 Nov 15;39(10):1446-53. doi: 10.1086/425313. Epub 2004 Oct 26. PMID: 15546080 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15546080/
Turf Toe, Cedars-Sinai, https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/t/turf-toe.html
Turf Toe, Cedars-Sinai, https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/t/turf-toe.html
Bacterial infection
Artificial-turf surfaces for sport and recreational activities: microbiota analysis and 16S sequencing signature of synthetic vs natural soccer fields, Valeriani, Federica et al., Heliyon, Volume 5, Issue 8, e02334 www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(19)35994-8
Bass, Jason J., and David W. Hintze. "Determination of Microbial Populations in a Synthetic Turf System." Skyline-The Big Sky Undergraduate Journal 1.1 (2013): 1. – Open access journal
Keller, Marcus. "The fate of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus in a synthetic field turf system." (2013).
Bass, Jason J., and David W. Hintze. "Determination of Microbial Populations in a Synthetic Turf System." Skyline-The Big Sky Undergraduate Journal 1.1 (2013): 1. – Open access journal
Keller, Marcus. "The fate of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus in a synthetic field turf system." (2013).
general
A 2021 study found that “athletes were 58% more likely to sustain an injury on artificial turf. Football, soccer, and rugby athletes were at a significantly greater injury risk on artificial turf. Upper and lower extremity and torso injuries also occurred with higher incidence on artificial turf.” Paliobeis, A., Sivasundaram, L., Knapik, D. M., Labelle, M. W., Olson, M., Karns, M. R., Salata, M. J., & Voos, J. E. (2021). Injury incidence is higher on artificial turf compared with natural grass in high school athletes: A retrospective cohort study. Current Orthopaedic Practice, 32(4), 355-360. https://doi.org/10.1097/BCO.0000000000001012
A 2024 study showed, increased injury rates associated with synthetic turf. "Furthermore, Achilles tendon rupture injuries occurred at a rate of 56.8% on artificial turf versus 43.2% on natural grass (Ready et al.,2019). While artificial turfs are a common alternative to natural grass, they are also linked to increased injury rates (Davie et al.,2023). Artificial turf has been associated with a higher risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries, particularly for female soccer players (Ngatuvai et al., 2022). Injuries requiring surgical intervention led to the most significant time loss from games and the study found that 83 players injured on artificial turf required surgeries compared to 50 on natural grass; and Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries in particular, were noted for causing substantial time away from play (Venishetty et al. ,2024)."
A 2024 study showed, increased injury rates associated with synthetic turf. "Furthermore, Achilles tendon rupture injuries occurred at a rate of 56.8% on artificial turf versus 43.2% on natural grass (Ready et al.,2019). While artificial turfs are a common alternative to natural grass, they are also linked to increased injury rates (Davie et al.,2023). Artificial turf has been associated with a higher risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries, particularly for female soccer players (Ngatuvai et al., 2022). Injuries requiring surgical intervention led to the most significant time loss from games and the study found that 83 players injured on artificial turf required surgeries compared to 50 on natural grass; and Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries in particular, were noted for causing substantial time away from play (Venishetty et al. ,2024)."
| decodingnflinjuriesriskfactorsrecurrenceandpredictiveinsights.pdf |
Additional studies:
- Rizzieri T, Muir SM DO, Brown A, Graham C, Khan R, et al. (2024) Artificial Turf Injuries: A National Database Study. J Orthop Res Ther 9: 1352. https://doi.org/10.29011/2575-8241.001352
- Drakos, Mark C. MD; Taylor, Samuel A. MD; Fabricant, Peter D. MD; Haleem, Amgad M. MD. Synthetic Playing Surfaces and Athlete Health. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 21(5):p 293-302, May 2013. | DOI: 10.5435/JAAOS-21-05-293
Pollution
Heavy metals
Metals that have been found in testing include: Lead, Selenium, Zinc
Selenium is a rare metal used in rubber vulcanization processes, finding significant selenium in environmental samples without a clear industrial source can be indicative of (crumb) rubber contaminated runoff.
For recommended sample preparation and metals analysis procedure(s), please see page 3 of the TetraTech report for the Martha's Vineyard Commission.
Environmental and Human Health, Inc. and Yale University analyzed metals in crumb rubber.
Selenium is a rare metal used in rubber vulcanization processes, finding significant selenium in environmental samples without a clear industrial source can be indicative of (crumb) rubber contaminated runoff.
For recommended sample preparation and metals analysis procedure(s), please see page 3 of the TetraTech report for the Martha's Vineyard Commission.
Environmental and Human Health, Inc. and Yale University analyzed metals in crumb rubber.
| Yale_crumb_rubber_metals_summary_results.pdf |
| Artificial Turf - Exposures To Ground-Up Rubber Tires, Athletic Fields, Playgrounds, Gardening Mulch |
PFAS
The Lowell Center for Sustainable Production has published the following on Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances in Artificial Turf:
Previously, the Toxics Use Reduction Institute published
PFAS Test Methods (2020)
For recommended sample preparation and analysis procedure(s), please see pages 3-4 of the TetraTech report for the Martha's Vineyard Commission.
In 2021 EPA published Draft Method 1633 for the analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous, solids, biosolids, and tissue samples by LC-MS/MS, and were not available to TetraTech at the time of their analyses. This method maybe useful on its own and after UV and/or SPLP pre-treatment.
- Review of Academic, Municipal, and other testing efforts (Aug 2024)
- PFAS Test Methods for Athletic Field System Components (July 2024, update of TURI 2020 doc)
Previously, the Toxics Use Reduction Institute published
PFAS Test Methods (2020)
For recommended sample preparation and analysis procedure(s), please see pages 3-4 of the TetraTech report for the Martha's Vineyard Commission.
In 2021 EPA published Draft Method 1633 for the analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous, solids, biosolids, and tissue samples by LC-MS/MS, and were not available to TetraTech at the time of their analyses. This method maybe useful on its own and after UV and/or SPLP pre-treatment.
Microplastics
Synthetic turf carpets shed blades and wear down into micro and nanoplastics that contaminate soil, water and air when exposed to general wear and the elements.
- Microplastics Everywhere
- The dark side of artificial greening: Plastic turfs as widespread pollutants of aquatic environments
- Toxic effects and primary source of the aged micro-sized artificial turf fragments and rubber particles: Comparative studies on laboratory photoaging and actual field sampling
Solid waste
According to the Synthetic Turf Council, the average artificial field consists of 400,000 pounds of infill and 40,000 pounds of artificial turf carpet. There are no operational facilities able to recycle artificial turf in the United States. Synthetic turf fields are piling up, dumped, buried in landfills, or burned through pyrolysis, contaminating the environment in the communities it is disposed of.
6-ppd
From US EPA:
"Used for more than six decades as an additive in tires, 6PPD (chemical name: N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine) is also found in other rubber products such as footwear, synthetic turf infill, and synthetic playground surfaces. 6PPD reacts with ozone in the air to form 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-q), which EPA-funded research in 2020 found to be linked to the deaths of coho salmon in urban Puget Sound streams. Exposures occur when runoff containing the chemical is washed from parking lots and streets into streams and other bodies of water."
"EPA’s Office of Water, in partnership with EPA Region 10 and Eurofins Environment Testing – Sacramento, has published Draft Method 1634, an analytical procedure to test for 6PPD-q in surface water and stormwater."
"Used for more than six decades as an additive in tires, 6PPD (chemical name: N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine) is also found in other rubber products such as footwear, synthetic turf infill, and synthetic playground surfaces. 6PPD reacts with ozone in the air to form 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-q), which EPA-funded research in 2020 found to be linked to the deaths of coho salmon in urban Puget Sound streams. Exposures occur when runoff containing the chemical is washed from parking lots and streets into streams and other bodies of water."
"EPA’s Office of Water, in partnership with EPA Region 10 and Eurofins Environment Testing – Sacramento, has published Draft Method 1634, an analytical procedure to test for 6PPD-q in surface water and stormwater."
Impervious Surface & Stormwater
volume
One inch of rainfall on an acre of impervious surface produces 27,000 gallons of stormwater to manage. Natural grass is far superior to artificial when it comes to runoff reduction and water retention.
- Cotrone, V. (n.d.). The Role of Trees and Forests in Healthy Watersheds
- Impervious Surface Analysis Tool - NOAA Office for Coastal Management
- Thomas J. Simpson, Robert A. Francis, Artificial lawns exhibit increased runoff and decreased water retention compared to living lawns following controlled rainfall experiments, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Volume 63,
2021, 127232, ISSN 1618-8667, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127232.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866721002570) - Sample Stormwater calculation for a football field in NH
temperature
Does your synthetic field drain into impaired creeks, streams, or cold water fisheries? Asphalt is known to increase the temperature of stormwater, synthetic turf is known to get even hotter than asphalt.
Creating cooling effects as opposed to the heat island effects of artificial turf playing fields. In fact the National Recreation and Park Association pointed out in 2019, stating that:
“...the high surface-level temperatures recorded on these fields compared to natural turf have been well-documented. Since grass leaves release water vapor (or transpire) and the evaporation of that water vapor leads to cooling, grass fields rarely get above 100° F. Turf fields, in comparison, regularly rise well above 100° F. Penn State University’s Center for Sports Surface Research conducted studies comparing surface temperatures of synthetic turfs composed of various fiber and infill colors/materials and found that the maximum surface temperatures during hot, sunny conditions averaged from 140° F to 170° F.
Another study conducted at Brigham Young University found that “The surface temperature of the synthetic turf was 37° F higher than asphalt and 86.5° F hotter than natural turf.” And, as neuroscientist Kathleen Michels points out: “Any temperature over 120° F can cause skin burns with skin contact in two seconds.”“
contaminants
- Toxic effects and primary source of the aged micro-sized artificial turf fragments and rubber particles: Comparative studies on laboratory photoaging and actual field sampling
- Microplastics Everywhere
- The dark side of artificial greening: Plastic turfs as widespread pollutants of aquatic environments
Cost
- A synthetic turf field costs approximately 3 million dollars or more over a 20 year life cycle.
- One synthetic turf field is equal to about 3.2 million plastic bags, 46 million plastic straws or 20.6 million large styrofoam cups.
- It would take 1,861 trees to offset just the carbon produced by a single synthetic field over 10 years according to a low estimate by the Athena Institute.
- One rough estimate showed 20 times the amount of stormwater runoff annually from a synthetic turf football field proposed in the northeast.
Sample letter for a Board of Health
| tttc_sample_boh_letter.docx |
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Sustainable Fields & Playgrounds
Parks and Recreation Commission | City of Stamford, Connecticut | October 6th, 2022 Presentations begin at 14:30 |