Nantucket Board of Health hears experts on artificial turf, PFAS and microplastics; no decision made

The Nantucket Board of Health convened a special roundtable on March 11 to review scientific evidence and operational planning for a proposed artificial turf and track at the high school, hearing experts on pediatric health, chemistry, exposure testing and stormwater management but taking no vote.

Dr. Margaret Ann Price, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, opened the expert presentations by stressing the value of team sports for teenagers, saying team play "provides a protective environment for teenagers" and arguing that lost playing time can harm social support and mental health. School leaders and athletic staff told the board the proposed surface would substantially increase usable hours compared with the town’s natural grass fields, which are often unplayable.

Scientists advising the Land and Water Council and independent consultants emphasized different risk and testing perspectives. Dr. Sarah Evans, an environmental pediatrician at Mount Sinai, outlined evidence gaps and said children are a uniquely vulnerable population "closer to the ground where dust and chemicals settle," warning that artificial turf is a complex product that can contain PFAS and plastics and that "we do not…