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Committee hears that synthetic turf raises runoff, microplastics and disposal concerns
Summary
The UF Extension presentation warned that synthetic turf increases surface runoff, can shed microplastic infill and often ends up in landfill at replacement; the committee discussed filtration loss and implications for Pinellas County waterways.
At the Aug. 20 meeting, UF Extension urban horticulture agent Teresa Badrick outlined environmental risks associated with synthetic-turf installations, emphasizing increased runoff, microplastic infill loss and chemical leaching.
"With synthetic turf, you get a lot more surface runoff," Badrick said, noting that compacted bases and hard materials reduce infiltration compared with living turf, which acts as a living filter. She cited concerns that microplastic infill and manufacturing chemicals (for example, zinc and lead among others described generally in the literature) can migrate in runoff to impaired local waterways.
Badrick also raised end-of-life disposal challenges: synthetic systems combine multiple bonded plastics and components that are difficult to recycle efficiently and therefore commonly end up in landfills. She urged committee members to consider these lifecycle impacts when evaluating incentives or standards for residential and public installations.
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