Synthetic Grass Info

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently issued a document detailing a limited-scope study into the use of recycled tires as the material for crumb rubber infill in artificial turf grass. As many may be aware there was grave concern over the health risks attributed to the use of crumb rubber infill and the claim that children were coming in contact with dangerous chemicals.

Data was collected from a number of different sites in North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio and Maryland. The full study sites sampled were two synthetic turf fields and a playground while additional samples were taken from four other synthetic turf fields and a second playground.

According to the EPA the results of the study found that the levels of the components that were contained within the samples were consistently below the levels of concern. The report goes on to warn, though, that the study was of a very limited nature. It further states that the characteristics and performance of the grass blades should also be considered separately to that of the rubber infill.

Some of the findings that were itemized in the official press release that came out on December 10, 2009 included:

• Particulate matter, metals and volatile organic compound concentrations were measured in the air samples and compared with areas away from the turf fields (background levels). The levels found in air samples from the artificial turf were similar to background levels.
• No tire-related fibers were observed in the air samples.
• All air concentrations of particulate matter and lead were well below levels of concern.
• More than 90 percent of the lead in the tire crumb material was tightly bound and unavailable for absorption by users of the turf fields.
• Zinc, which is a known additive in tires, was found in tire crumb samples. However, air and surface wipe monitoring levels of zinc were found to be below levels of concern.

Now the question that should be asked when reading about this particular study is does this clear crumb rubber infill as a safe product to use. Unfortunately the answer is still a resounding no. There are many cautions and caveats surrounding the way in which the testing was carried out and the type of samples that were taken, both air-borne and physical specimens.

What the study does is provides a framework around which future studies can be based and can be used in determining what form future studies are going to take. It’s still an issue that requires more information to be independently gathered because according to the Synthetic Turf Council there are more than 4,500 fields, tracks and playgrounds in the US that are covered by one form of synthetic turf or another.

Sometimes there’s no point trying to replicate natural grass with synthetic grass that looks almost, but not quite, identical to the real stuff. The pretense is completely blown out the window at a few football stadiums around the country. These stadia are fairly well known because of their distinctive blue artificial turf surface. That’s right…blue.

So why would the owners of a football stadium choose to use blue artificial turf instead of the more obvious green?

For a hint at the answer we turn out attention to Bronco Stadium at Boise State University in Idaho. Bronco Stadium is also known as “The Blue” and the current blue surface is the 4th blue artificial turf surface that has been installed in the stadium. Bronco Stadium was first fitted with the standard green AstroTurf in 1986 but it then switched to blue in 1992. It was upgraded in 1995, AstroPlay was then installed in 2002 and then the 4th blue field was installed in 2008. This time the synthetic turf was supplied by FieldTurf.

Gene Bleymeyer is the Boise State athletic director and came up with the idea of dyeing the field blue saying “I guess that I’m the type of person that when I paint my house I paint it a different color so the neighbors notice you did something”. He basically decided that if he was going to spend so much money on a new artificial turf field he would make it stand out. Blue certainly stands out.

The blue artificial turf has succeeded in giving the school a certain notoriety and has given it more attention than it would otherwise have gotten. It is now a valuable branding tool used by the collage and is now worth more than the original cost to install it.

Other fields have since followed suit with the University of New Haven recently opting to make use of a blue field. The other owners of blue fields are high schools from various regions around the country.

So is the desire to stand out from the crowd a good enough reason to not only use an artificial turf but to turn it the most unnatural color for a supposed grass surface as possible? It’s certainly a move that has paid off handsomely for Boise State University.

There are a number of different types of playground artificial turf available on the market today, some of them have been manufactured to look like real grass and some have been made with bright colors suitable for children’s games. The most important aspect of whatever playground artificial turf that is used is that it provides a safe environment for the children who will be using it.

The artificial grass that is installed should be made from a non-abrasive type of material that is both comfortable for the kids to play on and durable enough to last for many years. The idea is that children or more likely to fall over while playing on the playground equipment and so, when they do, they will be protected from skinned knees or elbows or other minor scrapes and bruises.

One of the main features that artificial turf companies ensure when they install playground artificial turf is extra padding under the turf to protect children from falls from playground equipment. These shock pads make the artificial turf much softer and more forgiving than natural grass and protects children from fall heights over 5’.

The reason that you would want to install artificial turf instead of another product such as wood chips or a pour-in rubber compound is largely a safety one. But there are other valid reasons for using artificial turf such as:

• No compaction problems;
• The surface will not suffer displacement like what happens with wood chips;
• Foreign or dangerous objects cannot be buried just below the surface;
• Cushioning from impact falls is greater;
• No possibility of splinters;
• Kids won’t get as dirty when playing on artificial turf;
• Weed growth will be suppressed

Although the actual look of the artificial turf used to cover playgrounds is not the main reason for choosing one particular product over another, the fact is that companies are now producing playground artificial turf that looks a lot like real grass. This adds to the comfort factor provided by the grass and the fact that play is being done on a soft, lush surface adds to the enjoyment of the children using it.

As stated earlier in the article artificial grass made especially for children’s playgrounds are manufactured by a lot of companies. Follow the link to view a list of some of the top artificial turf manufacturers in the industry.

One of the big improvements in the world of artificial grass is the technology surrounding the look and feel of the grass and its place in the landscaping industry. These days it is getting even more difficult than before to tell the difference between real grass and artificial grass. Although there are some reservations about artificial grass and landscaping, in some situations it is the logical choice and with its ability to provide a more breathable ground covering, it is becoming a more acceptable option.

When the existing lawn that has been struggling in your front or backyard finally gives up the ghost due to water shortage or black beetle infestation, the alternative could well be artificial grass. Similarly when the upkeep of a garden, including the lawns, becomes too much to handle, landscaping artificial grass could become the perfect choice. It gives you the perfect green lawn that many people desire all year round and even the old problem of looking “too perfect” has been addressed with a smattering of brown or straw colored grass fibers thrown in.

It’s true, artificial grass is made from a type of plastic and this is a substance that is far from natural. It uses a considerable amount of water to manufacture and it has an impact on the ground that it is laid on as well as the surrounding environment. It’s not a step that is to be taken lightly, and not because it is going to cost you a considerable amount of money.

Also, if you think by installing synthetic grass you will have a completely maintenance free yard you’d better think again. If artificial grass is going to continue to look good it must be regularly cared for. The maintenance required is far less than the maintenance required for a natural grass lawn but it does require some work on a weekly or even more frequent basis.

Take A Balanced View On Artificial Grass

The point of this particular article is to try to give you a balanced view about artificial grass and landscaping. If you go to the artificial grass manufacturer websites they will paint you a picture that will have you believe that artificial grass is completely trouble free, environmentally friendly and virtually maintenance free. The truth is that none of these things are 100% the case.

It’s true there are a lot of good points to installing synthetic grass, but there are also concerns. Placing yet another man-made substance into our environment is one of the main concerns and this is a completely valid point. Make sure that your reasons for installing artificial grass as your landscaping background is the right one and that you take steps to ensure that it has the least impact possible on the surrounding environment.

There are a number of attributes that are considered to be very important when it comes to the nature of an artificial grass surface. In this instance we are talking about the way the surface performs as a sporting surface. The sports artificial grass, also referred commonly to as artificial turf, has a primary obligation to performance rather than to looking like natural grass. For this reason there is a lot of technology that goes into the production of the top quality artificial grasses.

One of the performance aspects of using artificial turf is the rate of injury that is experienced on a particular turf compared both to other types of artificial grass as well as in comparison to natural grass. There have been claims that artificial turf playing surfaces are responsible for a greater number of injuries, but the studies have proven otherwise.

An independent study has shown that the use of artificial turf has resulted in significantly fewer neural and cranial injuries and it has gone on to show that the injuries that players have suffered are less severe resulting in less time lost due to their injuries. All of these impact injuries infer that landing on artificial grass during the course of competition is far less traumatic than landing on a natural grass surface.

Another area in which there has been deep concern is in the area of traction and the problem where the artificial grass surface grabs the cleats of player’s shoes with too much force resulting in ankle and knee injuries. Here, again, the studies have shown that when wearing just about any brand of synthetic grass shoe the artificial grass surface meets or exceeds the necessary safety standards that allows for suitable traction and torque.

When it comes to the very minor injuries such as abrasions, contusions and lacerations and other small knocks that result in losing no game time it has been found that artificial grass surfaces produce a greater number. The thing is, though, that slightly larger injuries, those that result in 1 or 2 days of time lost during injury, were sustained on natural grass surfaces.

What most studies have shown is that while the rate of injury between natural and artificial grass surfaces were relatively similar, the amount of time lost due to injury, the way the injury occurred and the part of the body that was injured differed dramatically.

There is great importance placed on the stability of footing provided by artificial grass surfaces. The footing is always consistent throughout the playing season and not prone to degeneration as the weather worsens. Claims that artificial grass is more dangerous to players due to a higher rate of injury have been shown to be false and, in fact, have suggested that the injury you may sustain will be of a shorter duration than what it may have been on a natural grass surface.

The artificial turf industry has an association that has dedicated itself to providing a resource of information that come from trustworthy sources for the industry. If you want to find information about what is happening in the synthetic turf world you can be sure that the Synthetic Turf Council will provide an unbiased report.

The STC encourages input from all sorts of people who have had contact with transactions involving synthetic turf, not just the manufacturers and suppliers. In other words anyone who has bought or installed synthetic grass is invited to join the Synthetic Turf Council as an associate member. This way their voice can be heard and they can give their experiences an airing.

As well as presenting the latest scientific research findings about the safety of artificial turf, there is a very handy calendar that lists upcoming events that industry types might be interested in. This involves forums, meetings and conferences that might prove to be interesting.

The Synthetic Turf Council site also lists the company details of businesses that may be involved in the industry. The categories under which they are listed include: Material Manufacturers and Supplies; Independent Professionals and Consultants; Builders; Testing Laboratories, and; Specialty Services Companies. Links to the sites can also be found here, certainly a valuable resource.

If you can’t find the details that you’re looking for about synthetic turf then the next logical move is to check out the Synthetic Turf Council website.