Lead levels not the only problem

January 23, 2009

I WAS struck by the notion of the "threat" posed by artificial turf fields ("In fake grass, some see real threat," Page A1, Jan. 19), which are so rapidly becoming one of those things that every community, school, and university thinks it must have.

The article points out obvious concerns about lead levels in the fake grass, and, as one consumer safety advocate says, "There's no safe level of lead." That alone is a problem.

But the financial cost of these fields is cited only in passing. The new football field at Concord-Carlisle High School cost $3.8 million, in the ballpark of other estimates I have heard. So that is the second threat - one of sheer dollars and cents, a problem in normal times, now exacerbated in tough economic times.

Then there is the environmental impact of field turf. These surfaces would have to be replaced every decade or so as the beautiful "green" fades. Turf is not even close to being as environmentally friendly as real grass fields that let water pass through and that are cooler. Ask any athlete who has played on surfaces where summertime temperatures on the field can easily reach triple digits whether he or she would rather be on real grass.

There are certainly threats in these artificial fields. Lead is just one of them.

Stephen J. Nelson
Providence