Synthetic Turf in Public Spaces – Chemical Composition
Summary Report prepared for the Office of NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer – August 2022
PFAS
PFAS and microplastics become more toxic when combined, research shows
Study detects synergistic effect making substances more dangerous, raising alarm since humans are exposed to both
Health risks of PFAS in Synthetic Turf
A review document prepared by the NTA in 2024
As the world heats up, so does the debate around artificial turf
Artificial turf carpets athletic fields, playgrounds, and residential lawns across the US, offering a low-maintenance alternative to natural grass that always looks lush and doesn’t require heavy watering. But while this popular synthetic material is marketed as eco-friendly, it has also long attracted controversy – for decades, environmental and health advocates have expressed concern about the chemical byproducts of the turf’s plastic fibers.
Synthetic turf in public spaces – Chemical composition of materials
The NSW government is investigating the impact of synthetic turf on the safety and amenity of open spaces.
This report was prepared by the Institute for Sustainable Futures in 2022
Synthetic Turf Toolkit
Document prepared by Turf Australia in 2024
National Measurement Institute – Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances
We can detect per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their related precursors in water, soil and biota. Our methods can achieve low limits of reporting with rapid turnaround times.
New Testing Reveals High Levels of Toxic PFAS in Artificial Turf
Today the nonprofit watchdog Center for Environmental Health (CEH) sent legal notices to Home Depot and Lowe’s for selling artificial turf found to contain high levels of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). PFOS is one of the most studied toxic PFAS chemicals, also known as “forever chemicals.” Exposure to PFOS can cause adverse health effects, including cancer and reproductive harm. Home Depot and Lowe’s failed to warn its customers of potential exposure to PFOS in its Lifeproof, Traffic Master, and SYNlush artificial turf products, as required under California’s consumer health protection law, Proposition 65.
Debate about safety of synthetic turf and ‘forever chemicals’ raises concerns for some
The grass may be greener if it’s made of synthetic turf, but some communities are raising concerns about “forever chemicals” that may be found in many of the faux fields.
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Soil / Biosolids
The method is for determination of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in soil/sediment/biosolid samples by high performance liquid chromatography/triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS). All results are corrected for labelled surrogate recoveries and reported as received on a wet weight basis.