“PFAS are in every single sample that I have seen a lab report done correctly on,” Bennett said of further research she’s reviewed on turf fields.
In addition to the potential for PFAS, Bennett noted the likelihood that turf fields will emit microplastics, which have also been linked to poor health outcomes.
“Because it’s plastic that is exposed to ultraviolet light, acidic rain and abrasion from people using it, literally tons of micro and nano plastics — I’m using the word ton as an actual measurement, not as just a descriptor — come off each of those fields over their lifetime, hundreds of pounds every year,” Bennett said.