A Los Angeles City Council committee Friday advanced a motion calling for a study on the feasibility of banning synthetic grass, citing health and environmental concerns.
In April 2024, the Biden Administration, through the Environmental Protection Agency, categorized PFAS and other "forever chemicals" as hazardous substances dangerous to human health. The EPA concluded that exposure to PFAS may lead to reproductive effects, developmental delays and risks of some cancers. Exposure can happen through inhalation, ingestion, skin contact and mucous membrane exposure, including microplastic dust kicked up on artificial turf fields.
"Additionally, additional turf contributes to the urban heat island' effect, raising local temperatures, while the city is engaged in other efforts to combat urban heat, including cool pavement and increasing the urban forest," the motion reads. "Artificial turf does not support life, including insects and birds, and by depriving underlying soil of water, air and light, can kill beneficial organisms in the soil for many years.