Ground-breaking California study examines synthetic turf safety

Capitol Weekly welcomes Opinions on California public policy or politics. Click here for more information about submitting an Op-Ed.

OPINION – California takes a back seat to no one on protecting environmental safety and public health. And so, when the state’s experts weigh in on an issue, their voices carry.

Across the nation, there are questions about the use of synthetic turf fields with crumb rubber infill. People are understandably interested about the impact on the health and safety of their children and other family members.

The good news is that scientists from California’s leading public health agencies have produced one of the most comprehensive reviews to date on the subject.

The draft study, published by the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (CalOEHHA) in March 2025, found “no significant health risks to players, coaches, referees and spectators from on-field or off-field exposure” to synthetic turf using crumb rubber infill.

The report concludes that:

• Long term use of these fields “does not result in exposures to chemicals that pose significant non-cancer health hazards.”
• The study also found that “use of synthetic turf fields does not pose hazardous levels of exposure to sensory irritants (chemicals that can cause irritation of the eyes or airways).”
• Cancer risks associated with the crumb rubber infill used in artificial turf fields “are insignificant for athletes, coaches and referees.”
• “The study found that, on average, people using the fields were not exposed to levels of chemicals that can cause harm to childhood development or the male or female reproductive systems.”

The findings of this study matter for lawmakers, local leaders, and community organizations across not just California, but the entire nation.

For more than a decade, turf fields have sparked debate in school districts, city councils, and park departments, among others. However, much of this concern is fueled by myths and misinformation rather than data and hard science.

The reality is that recycled rubber is one of the biggest success stories in sustainability and safety.

The recycling process alone helps keep over 200 million end-of-life tires out of landfills every year. Rubber provides soft, durable surfacing for parks and playgrounds, keeping parks open more often during the year and ensuring access to recreational spaces for people of all ages and abilities. These surfaces play an essential role in communities by extending the life of public community spaces while minimizing the burden of maintenance and repair on municipalities.

Grass fields are difficult and expensive to maintain and often are unusable after rain. For many communities, that means canceled games and fewer opportunities for people to be active outside. Turf fields with crumb rubber infill extend playing time as they drain quickly following inclement weather and significantly lower maintenance costs compared to grass.

As a Little League coach, I have seen firsthand the value of turf fields that can handle a high volume of events and stay open after rain and other inclement weather. We should work to encourage, not discourage, safe and active play in our communities.

With this new CalEPA and CalOEHHA study, the state’s researchers provided what was needed: a thorough, science-based assessment. But that’s not all.

While California’s work on this issue puts in place a benchmark for other states, similar reports exist from some of the top organizations in the country. The CalEPA and CalOEHHA study adds to the extensive and growing body of government and peer-reviewed studies, including research from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). All these organizations have found that turf fields are essentially as safe as grass.

So, I hope that leaders from across the nation will read the report, internalize its findings and use this data as a definitive source for making decisions about what’s best for their communities.

Scott Gerber is the program director for the Better Play Initiative and the former communications director to the late California Senator, Dianne Feinstein.