Artificial Turf: Research on Plastic Pollution, PFAS, and Health Concerns

Artificial turf poses a number of health and environmental concerns, including chemicals in artificial turf materials, plastic pollution in the environment, habitat loss, and excess heat. Recent research has shed additional light on the loss of plastic fragments and particles into the environment, health and environmental threats associated with chemicals in waste tire materials, and the presence of PFAS in artificial turf. This webinar will explore the contribution of artificial turf to global plastic pollution, other health and environmental impacts of artificial turf, and implications for communities. 

In this webinar, Dr. William de Haan discussed a 2023 study that measured the presence of artificial turf fibers in surface waters. The study measured up to 20,000 artificial turf fibers per day in river water, and more than 200,000 fibers per day in sea surface waters near the shore. 

Susan Chapnick discussed the environmental impacts of artificial turf and explore how individual communities are working to address these threats and to monitor and protect wetlands and water resources. She briefly discussed the significance of EPA’s recent publication of acute freshwater aquatic life screening values for 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone, a concern when waste tires are used as infill in artificial turf. 

Dr. Rachel Massey briefly summarized human health concerns and explained efforts to test artificial turf for the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), one category of chemicals of concern found in artificial turf.