Is Artificial Turf Safe?

Lead

• The Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2008 released a study concluding that young children are not at risk of lead poisoning from artificial turf dust. However, in an article for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, authors from a consortium of government agencies note that the United States government agencies lack "standardized approaches for sampling synthetic turf and interpreting the results."

Injuries

• Artificial turf maintenance requires regular applications of disinfectants, according to Pennsylvania State University. This is due to a risk of infections resulting from abrasions that is 16 times greater on any playing field than in other everyday situations. Blood and other bodily fluids can be diffused through absorption on natural turf, but not on artificial grass.

Heat

• Pennsylvania State University cites "extreme over-heating" on artificial grass playing fields, including a 198 degree Fahrenheit field temperature when air temperature was 98 degrees Fahrenheit. It adds that overheating while playing can increase muscle cramping, fatigue and heat stroke.