Environmental and Health Concerns

There are serious concerns about the environmental and health impacts from plastic artificial fields.

Heat

  • Because artificial turf fields absorb heat, temperatures can range from 40-70 degrees hotter than natural grass.
  • Children are less able to regulate body temperature, raising their risk of dehydration and heat stroke.

Injuries

  • Studies show players are more likely to sustain foot and ankle injuries while playing on plastic grass compared to natural grass.
  • The NFL Players Association has been very vocal the past few years advocating for natural grass fields because of the injury rates on players.

Toxicity

  • ALL artificial turf contains PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).  PFAS are known as forever chemicals because they don’t break down in the environment or in our bodies.
  • Infill is typically crumb rubber (ground up automotive tires), TPE, or alternative infills that contain synthetic chemicals.
  • In 2021, the EPA established the EPA Council of PFAS to “protect public health and the environment from the impacts of PFAS.”