Natalie Silva, a high school senior from Massachusetts, wants to play soccer in college, but she is still recovering from a right knee injury suffered in a game more than a year ago.
Silva remembers colliding with an opposing player. As she fell, she heard her knee “pop” as her boots got stuck in the turf of the field where she Uxbridge High School the team played away.
“I played on an indoor field where the turf is concrete. If it was grass, there would be more cushioning,” said Silva, 18, who attends school about 50 miles southwest of Boston. She said she met with her doctor, who was concerned that her cleats were designed for playing on grass rather than turf. “Gern played a 100% role in my injury,” Silva said.
Multi-billion dollar artificial turf industry convinced local governments and school boards that turf fields are a way to save money and increase gaming time for youth. As hundreds of synthetic fields and playgrounds are installed in U.S. schools, colleges and public parks each year, stakeholders ranging from lawmakers to school boards to soccer moms are debating claims like Silva's about the safety of playing on such surfaces.
Boston and Westport, Connecticuthave actually prohibited territory which contains rubber from recycled tires due to concerns about exposure to chemicals. Vermont lifted restrictionsand in California, the reversal of the previous decision now allows local communities introduce bans.
Groups like NFL Players AssociationAnd physiotherapists And other doctors believe that playing on the lawn increases the risk of torn ligaments, sprained ankles and other injuries.
A NFL data study A report published in 2024 found higher rates of lower limb injuries on artificial turf than on natural turf. The likelihood of a serious injury requiring season-ending surgery was significantly higher, the study said.
“ACL sprains and ankle sprains are the main injuries we see on turf,” said HIDEF Physical Therapy founder Zach Smith, who works with athletes in Seattle as they recover from turf-related injuries.
“The turf provides better traction and more friction,” he said. “Great for performance, but bad for joints.”
Security debate intensifies
Artificial turf – first widely introduced in the 1960s former domed stadium Houston Astros of Major League Baseball – made of plastic that imitates the look of grass. It usually contains tiny black granules called “crumb rubber” processed using shredded tires.
By 2020, there were 13,000 synthetic turf sports fields in the United States, with about 1,500 installed annually. National Recreation and Park Association. Today, young people playing sports from soccer to field hockey and lacrosse to soccer are less likely to play on natural grass than artificial turf, also called synthetic grass, synthetic turf or astroturf.
The Synthetic Turf Council, a leading industry trade group, did not return calls or emails to answer questions about chemical hazards and injuries. But the industry has pointed to research without showing a clear link between artificial turf and health problems, including sports injuries.
Manufacturers stand behind their product.
“Artificial turf allows children to safely play on a lush, dirt-free surface year-round,” said Adam Grossman, chief executive of Southern Turf Co., headquartered in Austin, Texas.
“No fertilizers, pesticides or watering are required,” Grossman said, adding that his company’s products are “non-toxic.”
Brad Blastic, President of Lazy Grass Co. in Alpharetta, Georgia, said his company's products have “built-in shock absorption to help reduce injuries and keep children active and safe.”
IN January letter In protest of Santa Clara County, California's proposal to ban artificial turf, Synthetic Turf Council President and CEO Melanie Taylor said that “chemicals are forever present in today's environment, including water, air, soil and various foods.”
Synthetic turf contains no more than what is found in other parts of the environment, and it helps communities across the country save money, Taylor said in the letter. “Proposals to ban artificial turf would hinder communities’ ability to access these benefits. [and] should be reconsidered,” she wrote.
Long-term consequences
Sphere of influence critics challenge the industry's claims, including regarding safety.
Crumb rubber granules in turf contain toxic chemicals such as petroleum compounds, metals and lead, according to Stuart Shalat, former director of environmental health at Georgia State University.
“When the fields heat up, they can release fumes or transfer chemicals to the skin,” said Shalat, who is now retired. “And we don’t yet fully understand the long-term consequences, especially for children.”
Paideia School, a private K-12 school in Atlanta, is moving from grass to turf at Python Park, located off-campus in Avondale Estates, which has two soccer fields and a baseball and softball field.
Janet Metzger, an environmentalist who lives near Python Park, said she tried to convince the school to cancel the project because she was concerned about the impact on the environment.
“When you have natural grass, there are insects and living life in the soil that support life in that area,” Metzger said. “The turf is killing the environment and harming all the species that live there.”
Paideia School declined an interview request to answer questions about why it is installing the turf.
In imposing restrictions on turf fields, government officials in California and Vermont said they were concerned about PFAS, which are known asforever chemicals» and other hazardous materials that can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
Federal Environmental Protection Agency 2024 report of crumb rubber on the lawn found that chemicals associated with tire crumb rubber were in the air, on surfaces and on the skin of study participants, but concluded that there were not elevated levels in their bodies. However, EPA researchers said their study was not designed to evaluate the health risks associated with crumb rubber.
Meanwhile, the US Consumer Protection Agency issued recommendations to limit exposure to recycled crumb rubber tire materials used on playground surfaces, encourage people to wash their hands and other exposed skin after leaving play surfaces with these surfaces, and to avoid eating and drinking on them.
This year promises to be one of the hottest on the recording. Turf absorbs heat from the sun and can become much hotter than natural grass, creating health hazardaccording to the Center for Environmental Health.
“On turf, you get more blisters, toes and turf burns. Now I play recreational soccer and treat the blisters myself,” said Smith, a physical therapist in Seattle who specializes in orthopedic injuries and rehabilitation. “The turf gets hot, and when you add sweat and heat, it becomes a dangerous combination.”
Brian Feeley orthopedic surgeon from the University of California, San Francisco, said his research shows that ACL and Achilles tendon injuries are more likely to occur on turf and are more likely to require surgery.
“Artificial turf doesn’t release the spikes as easily,” he said. “This puts more torque and stress on the knees and ankles.”
And Feeley said the long-term consequences can be serious: “An ACL injury as a young athlete can prevent you from playing at the next level and lead to arthritis in your 30s.”
Silva, an injured high school soccer player, said she would like to see her games played on natural grass. The Uxbridge High School principal's office and athletic department declined multiple requests for comment.
She remembers well the match in February 2024, when she broke up anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee.
“I came up to head the ball and landed awkwardly on my right foot,” she said. “The goalkeeper slammed into me at full speed and my knee popped. I immediately fell to the floor in agony. Every hit on the way home made my leg jerk – it felt like it had been torn off.”
Before the injury, Silva said she had hoped to play soccer in college. She is currently undergoing rehabilitation three times a week and will not be able to play for a year.
When asked about her future in football, Silva said she didn't know what to expect. Right now she's just trying to enjoy her senior year.
“The mental side of it is the worst,” Silva said. “The feeling that one day you can do everything, and the next day you can't walk or even move your leg. The mental aspect of this lasts longer than the pain.”
