Chemical Concerns

• In 2008, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) found that several synthetic playing fields in the state, including AstroTurf, contained potentially hazardous levels of lead. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tests from NJDHSS showed that turf made of nylon or of a nylon/polyethylene blend are more likely to contain high levels of lead. Other turf samples with only polyethylene fibers have very low levels of lead. Determining the potential risk presented by any particular artificial playing field should involve determining how old and weathered it is. Artificial turf that is visibly worn, or particularly dusty has a higher risk of having harmful levels of lead. This is caused by fibers in the artificial turf breaking down, and is noticeable in turf fibers that are frayed or breaking.
  
  

Frequency of Injury

• On older AstroTurf fields, injuries are more likely to occur. A study published in a 1992 edition of "The American Journal of Spoils Medicine" showed that natural grass is safer to play on. In it, John Powell, of the University of Iowa, wrote that NFL athletes who played on AstroTurf suffered more serious knee injuries than those who played on natural grass. Other specific conditions, such as turf burns and turf toe, are unique to the artificial playing surfaces. Since then, however, AstroTurf has taken steps to make its product emulate natural grass and thus cause fewer injuries. Their effectiveness, however, is up for debate.
  
  

Friction and Impact

• According to Mark Drakos, a sports medicine fellow with the Hospital for Special Surgery, scientists feel that there are two properties that have an impact on injury rates on artificial turf. One is the coefficient of friction, which relates to how likely it is that a player's foot will get caught in the turf. Old AstroTurf requires a high amount of force to cause slipping in a planted foot, which leads to higher rates of knee injuries. The second property is the coefficient of restitution, which relates to how well a field absorbs shock. Grass, for example, absorbs shock relatively well; whereas a surface like concrete does not. If a field has a high coefficient of restitution, an impact is more forceful, which leads to higher injury rates.
  
  

New Turf

• Newer artificial turf fields typically employ the use of both crumb rubber and sand to create a composite material called "infill." This composite emulates the dirt found naturally in between single blades of grass. This makes the artificial surface more like natural grass, and is believed to reduce many of the problems discussed above. According to an article published by Virginia Tech's Jay. H. Williams, third-generation artificial turf does not increase the likelihood of any injury when compared directly to grass fields. He even suggests it is possible that some types of injuries can be reduced on newer artificial fields. This is because grass fields require maintenance and upkeep that might be overlooked.
  
  

Precautions

• There are some safety precautions you can take to ensure that you and your family are safe on AstroTurf. Eddy Bresnitz, NJDHSS deputy commissioner, and Dale Kerney, an EPA spokesperson, recommend you wash your hands, face and body after playing. Take off clothes worn on the synthetic surface, turn them inside out and wash them separately from other items. Field custodians should water the fields before and after use to reduce dust caused by heavy play. Before having a surface installed, schools and towns should ask vendors to test the turf for potential contaminants, including turf fibers and infill. If a field is found to have high lead levels, limit access to the most vulnerable population: children younger than 6.