A program from the Washington State department of ecology aims to eliminate concerns and ensure all problematic chemicals are removed from synthetic turf. The department of ecology has listed synthetic turf as one of nine priority products it plans to review through the second iteration of its safer products for Washington program.
The program, created in 2019 and hailed by some as one of that nation’s strongest laws regulating toxic chemicals, directs ecology and the Washington state department of health to find ways they can reduce exposure to toxic chemicals in humans and the environment, a local news outlet reports.
The department will research ways those products could be made safer through regulation or outright ban.
Focus on reducing exposure to PFAS
Marissa Smith, a senior regulatory toxicologist for the Washington department of ecology, says the safety of synthetic turf has been researched for a long time. But ecology’s role is not to determine if turf is a health risk, but whether it can be manufactured without hazardous chemicals.
“We are focused on reducing exposure in the first place,” Smith said
People and the environment can be exposed to harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS and 6PDD, during the manufacturing, use and disposal of synthetic turf, presenting an opportunity to reduce chemical exposure, Ecology wrote in a report submitted to the state Legislature.
Under state law, ecology can regulate turf and other products if there is a “feasible alternative” on the market, Smith said. Over the next year they will review possible alternatives before coming back with a report in 2026.