Real Concerns with Fake Grass By Dr. Michael R. Barnes Researcher & Lecturer Department of Horticultural Science, University of Minnesota / Twin Cities Artificial turf has been one of the most prominent topics of discussions among professionals, policy makers and academics in 2023. Back in January of this year, I published a blog post on this very topic, discussing the outlook of artificial turf for this year. In that post, I mentioned that this year would be a turning point for artificial turf given that the spotlight was turning its direction given concerns around human health and safety and environmental impacts. We aren’t quite through all of 2023 but I can confidently say that this has indeed been a turning point year related to artificial turf. Academic research on artificial turf has been expanding, policy makers have enacted new bans across the globe, and professionals have been speaking out about concerns with artificial turf surfaces. Before diving into the details, I want to clearly state two things up front, 1) natural grass surfaces are preferable to artificial turf surfaces in the vast majority of contexts however 2) there are specific contexts in which artificial turf could be considered. Those statements are based on a broad range of research that spans from psychology and kinesiology to toxicology and horticulture and will be discussed below. Also to note is that when thinking about these surfaces we need to consider them from a holistic perspective. Meaning that while individual attributes (e.g., texture) are important especially in certain contexts (e.g., sports fields), these surfaces are part of broader landscapes that have impacts that can go beyond the direct users. Let’s start with one of the most prevalent issues of discussion which is on the minds of many professionals and the public: injuries. At the broadest level, there is evidence that there is a higher risk of injuries on artificial turf surfaces compared to natural grass, especially related to lower limb injuries (1) and abrasions (2). Additionally, a range of thermally-related injuries and per-
formance issues are associated with artificial turf due to significantly increased localized heat on those surfaces especially on sunny days (3) . Importantly, while professional athletes, especially those with
8 MPSFMA NEWS
high profiles (e.g. Aaron Rodgers) garner much of the attention related to their injuries and artificial turf, these higher rates of injury extend to our high school athletes and even younger children (4) who could then live with the consequences of a serious injury into their adult lives (5). It’s important to note that within these considerations, there are variances in findings depending on sport, individual field conditions, and measurement techniques. Significantly more attention needs to be paid to the field conditions associated with injury risk across both surface types. As maintenance of both surfaces can have significant impact on playability and safety. Next let’s turn to environmental issues associated with artificial turf. While several concerns around natural grass have existed for decades related to inputs required for maintenance, such comparisons were made to landscape types that had very little in common with natural grass spaces (e.g., forests). Comparing more like-to-like surfaces then natural grass versus artificial turf, natural grass provides significantly more ecosystem services especially when maintained properly, let’s look at some examples and evidence. First, and foremost the installation of artificial turf means the disruption and replacement of a living natural system with a non-living one. This means removal of critical topsoil and a loss of both plant and animal biodiversity (6). On the microbial scale, while natural and artificial surfaces can have similar levels of bacteria present, artificial turf surfaces can have significantly higher levels of potentially pathogenic strains (7). More broadly, studies have found heavy metals from aging and weathered crumb rubber infill leaching into both water and soil impacting the health of plants and animals in both environments (8,9) which can be exacerbated by common maintenance techniques that cause infill to escape (10). Finally, preliminary studies have investigated the presence and impact on human health of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which could be related to acute and chronic health issues for individuals who regularly use artificial turf surfaces (11,12). (Contined on Page 9)
FALL 2023