Artificial Turf Debate Part 2: FieldTurf Responds

FieldTurf's Vice-President responded to the concerns raised in a New Jersey community about the installation of artificial turf.

I have carefully reviewed the letter by Jill Riera ("Concerns on artificial turf," Feb. 13) and wanted to respond to some of the key facts and misinformation. 

First, some background on the safety of turf. FieldTurf synthetic turf products lead the industry by setting higher performance and environmental standards. With well over 15,000 sports and landscape installations, FieldTurf is the world's most trusted brand of artificial turf and has steered a high growth industry in the proper direction by setting the strictest of environmental standards. As the popularity of synthetic turf escalates, so has scrutiny about its usage. Reports surrounding the environmental safety of artificial turf may, on the surface, be alarming. However, simply put, artificial turf is safe and the science is there to prove it. While FieldTurf acknowledges the concerns of the groups behind these initiatives, the truth is that their questions have already been answered. Volumes of research and testing from academics, federal and state governments like California, Massachusetts and Connecticut, and school systems have examined everything called into question about synthetic turf. Their conclusions suggest synthetic turf poses no health risks. Synthetic turf is, and has always been safe. There is no legitimate scientific or medical evidence that synthetic turf poses a human health or environmental risk. 

Specific to the issues that were raised: 

"It's a major heat hazard"
"Collected data indicated that the air temperature as measured at a distance of two feet above the synthetic turf surface ranged from one to five degrees greater than the observed ambient air temperature, while the temperature at the same height above the natural turf ranged from 3° F lower to 1° F greater than the ambient air temperature. The measured air temperature at a height of five feet above the synthetic turf more closely approximated the ambient air temperature. Measured air temperatures ranged from 2° F lower to 2° F greater than the ambient air temperature."
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/opinion/response-to-artificial-turf-issue-in-ho-ho-kus-1.670103?page=all#sthash.waoyuP6t.dpuf

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