The Reality of Going Artificial

Turfgrass trumps plastic in environmental battle

© 2009 Wendy Dager

If you’re a fan of reality shows, then you know that it’s become a plastic world. Everything is fake, from personalities to physiques to relationships. Faux is fine as entertainment, but what happens when it crosses the line into your home turf?

At issue is whether artificial grass—also known as synthetic turf—is a sound alternative to natural turfgrass. Advocates of artificial grass say we should go fake because turfgrass requires regular maintenance using gasoline powered lawnmowers that pollute the environment, as well as consistent watering, which depletes our dwindling supply in this time of drought. Some cite the convenience of artificial grass, which requires no mowing, fertilizing or weeding.

In the 1970s, artificial grass was mostly rejected as an alternative to turfgrass on athletic fields, but is once again being considered for use where children and athletes play, as well as by homeowners and developers as a substitute for a “real” front lawn or back yard.

The Heat is On

It’s a hot topic. Studies have shown that one of the pitfalls of artificial grass is that it heats up to unacceptable—and even hazardous—levels, reportedly as high as 150 degrees Fahrenheit in typical sunlight conditions.

According to a 2002 study conducted by C. Frank Williams and Gilbert E. Pulley of Brigham Young University, in which one half of BYU’s football practice field had synthetic turf and the other half had sand-based natural turf, the surface temperature of synthetic turf was 37 degrees higher than asphalt and 86.5 degrees higher than natural turf.

Consequently, there are those who theorize that artificial grass is a significant contributor to the urban heat island (UHI) effect, which is said to increase energy use, air pollution and heat-related health problems.

Real Greenbacks

But the heat factor of artificial grass is not its only flaw. Another major consideration is that artificial grass is not cheap. The BYU study says that for every $1.30 spent maintaining turfgrass in their test field, $1 was spent on artificial grass, but construction costs were a whopping $11.77 for artificial versus $1 for natural.

Getting the Lead Out Q: Is it true that synthetic grass has high lead content? A: Some artificial grasses are made of nylon fibers that contain a lead-based bonding agent. Because of concerns about toxins from lead, many synthetic turf manufacturers are switching to polypropylene and polyethylene products, which are lead-free, but are generally made from fossil fuels.

Professional installation of synthetic grass runs from $6-20 per square foot, depending on geographical location, complexity of the job, and quality of materials. The maintenance costs associated with the installation of artificial grass cover the raking or blowing of leaves and other debris, rinsing with water, and more extensive sanitation methods, if soiled by pets.

One of the biggest problems, however, is that synthetic turf does not absorb stormwater.

Artificial Grass is All Wet

The problem with an impermeable surface is it’s just that—unable to absorb water. Turfgrass has a 50-75 percent water retention rate, but most types of artificial grass do not have adequate drainage, leading to extensive runoff.

According to the 2007 testimony of Craig Michaels, an investigator for Riverkeeper, Inc., a nonprofit environmental organization working to protect the Hudson River and the New York City drinking water supply, artificial turf is a “stormwater nightmare.”

“Water glides off (artificial turf) surfaces with ease and either adds to the City’s already overloaded sewer system, or, in the case of waterfront parks, may simply wash directly into our rivers and into New York Harbor,” Michaels wrote. “In contrast to natural playing surfaces such as grass, synthetic fields not only increase runoff, but this runoff is potentially toxic, as it contains rubber tire crumbs from the fields, which are comprised of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a group of chemicals that includes compounds classified as known or probable human carcinogens.”

But that’s New York City. Are the consequences the same in Southern California?

West Coast Worries

Artificial grass manufacturers say that their products are drought-friendly because they do not require watering. Obviously, plastic grass doesn’t need water for growth, but we now know that, in extreme heat, it must be cooled down with water in order to bring it to a safe temperature. How much water has not been calculated, as it depends on the surface size–whether it’s a sports field, golf course, housing development or a homeowner’s front lawn. Stormwater runoff is another problem that has not been thoroughly investigated in Southern California. The Leaf-let contacted the Ventura County Watershed District, but officials were unable to answer the question of what would occur during a major rain event should the use of artificial grass become widespread in Southern California. In order to avoid the aforementioned ecological ramifications of synthetic turf, S&S Seeds advocates the use of turfgrasses, and, particularly, native turfgrasses for increased water efficiency and stormwater absorption. For more information about turfgrasses, call S&S Seeds today at (805) 684-0436 or visit http://www.ssseeds.com.

EHHI Weighs in on Synthetic Turf According to Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI), a nonprofit organization composed of physicians, public health professionals and policy experts, the ground-up rubber tire fill that is a major component of synthetic turf is made of rubber tires that are considered hazardous waste in some U.S. states and “special” waste in others. According to EHHI, the fill was tested by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, which found the following compounds: Benzothiazole (skin and eye irritation, harmful if swallowed), butylated hydroxyanisole (recognized carcinogen, suspected endocrine intoxicant, gastrointestinal toxicant, immunotoxicant, neurotoxicant, skin and sense-organ toxicant), n-hexadecane (severe irritant), 4-t-octyl phenol (corrosive). “Recycling is good, but there are certain things that should not be recycled,” wrote Nancy Alderman, president of EHHI. “We should not recycle asbestos, we should not recycle lead and we certainly should not be recycling used rubber tires where children play.” —Reprinted with permission of Nancy Alderman, president of EHHI, http://www.ehhi.org.

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