These include heavy metals and toxic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and 6PPD. “During rain events, [particles] are washed off and they get into environments where they can make aquatic ecosystems sick,” she says. A typical synthetic soccer field, according to one estimate, requires at least 100 tonnes of crumb rubber – about 22,000…

 Prof Hugh Durrant-Whyte, the NSW chief scientist, concluded in his June report that “both rubber infill and turf fibre blades from synthetic turf fields are found in waterways in NSW” and that the “amount of turf fibres lost from a synthetic turf field is likely to be in the hundreds of kilograms per year”. The…

 Environmental groups say the allure of evergreen synthetic turf contrasts to its microplastic pollution levels and heat absorption. Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast For those living in small spaces, artificial grass has its upsides. It’s uniformly green, year round, without the need for watering, mowing or any…