Many people in Yarmouth are avid sports players and spend a lot of time after school on our artificial turf. Practicing on plastic grass (and coming home with little black microplastic pellets in your shoes) may seem like an everyday thing that people often don’t think about, but there might be hidden consequences for those who play sports. Many places are now starting to ban and restrict artificial turf. For example, Boston is now the largest town or city in the US that has halted the installation of new artificial turf. But why?
Artificial turf, often referred to as synthetic turf, or synturf, contains PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds), which are a highly toxic chemical. They consist of over 4,000 different types of chemical compounds that are called “forever chemicals” because they never disappear, they don’t break down in the environment, and accumulate in humans if ingested. These chemicals have been shown to lead to cancer, birth defects, liver disease, autoimmune disorders, and a slew of other health issues. They have also been found in a lot of different consumer products such as cooking pans, clothing, packaging, furniture, make-up, and electronics, and they are a key component of artificial turf. Unfortunately, not only have PFAS been found in a lot of products that we use, but they’ve also been found in drinking water and in the air. For example, Michigan is a state that has done a lot of PFAS testing and has found PFAS in much of its groundwater, which is incredibly dangerous especially since that’s the water people are drinking. When PFAS gets into the groundwater, it contaminates drinking water. PFAS in groundwater can come from a variety of sources, but sites that have an excessive amount of PFAS include airport and military locations, chemical plants and factories, wastewater treatment plants, and landfills. Artificial turf is especially an issue because it is made with a plastic backing, plastic grass blades, and infill. Infill is basically old tires, also known as “crumb rubber,” which cannot be made without PFAS.
Synthetic turf is an issue for other reasons, too. Not only does it contain PFAS, but it also increases heat levels and increases the chance of injury. Additionally, there are other toxic things in synthetic turf such as benzene, lead, and carcinogens, which are cancer-causing substances. There is still a lot of debate about how PFAS should be regulated, and how safe synthetic turf really is, especially for kids. A major concern is repeated exposure over long periods of time, which can be hard to measure. For example, running on a synthetic turf once is not such a big deal, but kids who play soccer every day after school are more exposed to PFAS chemicals.
Many states around the country, such as Maine, are regulating PFAS. In Maine just last year, we banned PFAS in all new products, starting in 2030. It does have some exceptions though, like for products that don’t have a PFAS-free alternative yet. Artificial turf, for one, cannot be made without PFAS. We are one of over 2 dozen states to have some sort of ban on PFAS in place, but most other states have more targeted bans. This includes laws such as banning PFAS only in food packaging, only in children’s toys, or only in rugs and furniture. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is a federal agency that has the power to affect environmental law across the nation, has also been taking some measures to address PFAS by creating testing requirements for it, declaring PFAS as a hazardous substance, and creating regulations for how much can be in drinking water. Even so, many environmentalists say that the federal government is not doing enough to address this issue.
Because artificial turf contains PFAS, there is great debate about whether it should continue to exist at parks and schools. Environmentalists are against synthetic turf because it contains PFAS, emits methane gas, sheds microplastics, and releases harmful chemicals into waterways and drinking water. Synturf is also made from recycled tires, which one might think is a good thing, but old tires contain toxic chemicals and are often hazardous. Although artificial turf is often said to be easier to maintain than real grass, artificial turf requires just as much maintenance as real grass. It ironically needs to be watered, swept, and it needs to have its infill replaced, which costs money. The infill, or crumb rubber, is the black pellet-like plastic on the inside of synthetic turf. And, since it’s made of plastic, when it gets replaced, the old infill gets landfilled, and it creates microplastics.
Even players from the NFL, especially San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa, are generally against synthetic turf. They have recently been taking efforts to switch all playing fields from synthetic turf to real grass, mainly because of the role synthetic turf plays in causing injuries. According to data from the NFL Player’s Association, players on artificial turf have a 32% higher risk of non-contact knee injuries and a 69% higher risk of non-contact foot and ankle injuries than players on real grass. Nick Bosa is especially against synthetic turf because it contributed to his ACL injury. He stated that the turf he played on in New York was brand new and his team had two torn ACLs and a bunch of other injuries on it.
Here in Yarmouth, we have our very own synthetic turf field. High schoolers practice on it every day. How many chemicals are we being exposed to? Will this lead to health risks for students? We don’t know, but the answer is likely not a nice one. PFAS have been found almost everywhere, and have alarming health effects. So what can our school do? We could start by reconsidering whether we should really be using synthetic turf, for the health of our students and the world.