Published in Landscape Architecture, November 2004

 

The Turfgrass Producers International (TPI) advocacy group has scheduled a series of meetings with the Environmental Protection Agency to discuss what it calls the "potential environmental, health and safety risks of artificial turf components."

 

According to the TPI, which represents the grass sod industry, the chemical components of artificial turf include substances like the heavy metal cadmium and silica dust, which may be dangerous to humans. Other concerns raised include "toxic gases" that could result from a fire, disposal questions and higher-than-normal field temperatures. TPI literature also mentions problems with plastic grass sanitation, "including removal of bodily fluids (spittle, blood, sweat, vomit, urine) and animal and/or bird droppings."

 

These and other potential problems are discussed in a TPI document, "Serious Questions About the New-Generation Turf That Require Answers." The first TPI meeting with the EPA was scheduled for September, with possible future meetings to follow.

 

Jim Dobmeier, president of A-Turf artificial turf manufacturer, declined to address TPI's specific issues but said his company's product was safe for the same uses as its natural counterpart. "All of the material components that make up A-Turf synthetic surfacing system meet the safety requirements set forth by the government," he said in a written statement released to LandscapeOnline.com.