Summer has arrived. The evenings are long and the days are brilliant. In all five boroughs, amateur athletes of all sizes have been traveling to public parks to play on soccer fields and baseball diamonds.
Unfortunately, if the Parks Department has its way, an increasing number of New Yorkers will be kicking, sliding, hitting, and fielding on chemical-laden, troublesome artificial turf rather than natural grass. In particular, the department, which has already removed more than 200 natural grass fields in recent years, intends to replace dozens more sports fields with synthetic grass made of plastic.
We comprehend the motivation of the Parks Department. They favor fields that they believe will require less upkeep and that can withstand heavy usage, which is typical in well-known city park sites.
For city dwellers, however, gambling on artificial turf is a losing proposition. Here’s why:
Synthetic turf lacks any natural qualities. These fields consist of a top layer of plastic carpet derived from petroleum, a crumb-rubber cushion fill that is typically created from recycled tires, and a number of hazardous, artificial chemical compounds. Children’s health is at risk from synthetic turf fields in several ways.
The heat comes first. A heat multiplier is artificial turf. Three to four feet above the plastic surface, the sun’s rays can reach temperatures of 130 to 140 degrees on hot summer days as they bounce off synthetic turf. Such scorching temperatures can cause skin burns, dehydration, and heat stress.
Then there’s the problem of being around harmful drugs. Chemicals such as 1,3-butadiene and styrene are important parts of the crumb rubber, which is a key component of synthetic turf. Lead, cadmium, and other hazardous elements may also be present in crumb rubber pellets. On hot days, these toxins can evaporate and be ingested by kids playing on artificial fields, inhaled, or absorbed via the skin.
We already know enough to be concerned, even though the medical evidence against synthetic turf is still developing. Additionally, regulators should err on the side of caution where there is scientific doubt regarding a matter that could pose a risk to human health.
The industry trying to get their goods into the market should bear the weight of evidence. Furthermore, the petrochemical companies that produce artificial turf have not demonstrated that their product is safe, particularly for young users.
Additionally, artificial turf harms the ecosystem. After intense rains, the chemical chemicals found in synthetic turf may wash into nearby waterways. When a turf field reaches the end of its useful life, which is around every eight to ten years, there’s the costly task of pulling it up and determining what to do with the tens of thousands of pounds of toxic-laden crumb rubber that need to be disposed of securely at each field.
Despite what producers say, these fields are not inexpensive. Additionally, replacing and dumping of artificial turf every ten years is a significant, unstated cost. However, it appears that the Parks Department is content to let another group of authorities handle all of these financial and environmental responsibilities.
However, some towns and cities around the nation are realizing the risks. Boston was the biggest city in the country to successfully stop artificial turf from being installed in its city parks in 2022.
Thankfully, the issue in the most populated city in America would be reduced by legislation currently pending in the New York City Council. The plan, introduced by Councilmember Christopher Marte, would prohibit artificial grass from being installed in parks in New York City in the future. The proponents of the law acknowledge that natural grass is a readily available alternative to synthetic turf. It has been tried and tested. It remains cool. It is also robust.
Indeed, live grass requires constant care, particularly in urban parks that see high traffic. However, as Council Parks Committee Chair Shekar Krishnan has long suggested, increasing Parks Department manpower is the answer to that problem. This will give city dwellers jobs. Furthermore, it makes more sense to let city youngsters play on even shabby, dusty ball fields rather than exposing them to the dangers synthetic turf poses to their health and the environment.
To put it succinctly, replacing the city’s treasured playing fields with artificial turf would be equivalent to sending Aaron Judge to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
We can maintain natural grass on our soccer fields and baseball diamonds with the support of the City Council. All New Yorkers will be winners when that occurs.
Landrigan is the director of Boston College’s Global Public Health Program in addition to being a doctor and public health specialist. Goldstein is the NYC environment director and senior lawyer at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
