News Update
PFAS found in synthetic turf
Staff report
Enviro-Net
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the toxic chemicals used in fire retardants and non-stick cookware, have been found in artificial turf carpet, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and The Ecology Center. This raises new public health and environmental concerns, including the potential of these chemicals to leach from turf fields into nearby waters.
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances do not break down in the environment and bio-accumulate in the food chain. Human exposure to PFAS is associated with cancer, birth defects and other impairments.
Currently, there are between 12,000 and 13,000 synthetic turf sports fields in the U.S., with more than a thousand new installations each year.
The Ecology Center found elemental fluorine and specific PFAS chemicals in artificial turf, suggesting that PFAS is an ingredient of the carpet grass fibers or the backing, or a byproduct of the manufacturing process.
Source: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility