May 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 82

OPERATIONS

Synthetic Sports Fields and
the Heat Island Effect
By Sonia Myrick

PHOTO COURTESY OF STAFFORD PARKS, RECREATION & COMMUNITY FACILITIES

ynthetic turf fields are commonplace in many U.S. communities. According to the Synthetic Turf Council, there are " between
12,000 and 13,000 synthetic turf sports fields in the U.S., with approximately 1,200-1,500 new installations each year (www.syn
theticturfcouncil.org/page/About_Synthetic_Turf). If you've ever attended any game played on one of these fields on a hot, sunny day, you've
probably seen the shimmer of heat rising from the surface or heard players
complain about feeling the heat through their shoes.

The fencing around this synthetic soccer
field includes a sign cautioning users
about extreme heat levels during hot
weather.

Debate continues over the
health impacts from playing on
synthetic turf fields, but the high
surface-level temperatures recorded on these fields compared
to natural turf have been welldocumented. Since grass leaves
release water vapor (or transpire)
and the evaporation of that water
vapor leads to cooling, grass fields
rarely get above 100° F. Turf fields,
in comparison, regularly rise well
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above 100° F. Penn State University's Center for Sports Surface
Research conducted studies comparing surface temperatures of
synthetic turfs composed of various fiber and infill colors/materials and found that the maximum
surface temperatures during hot,
sunny conditions averaged from
140° F to 170° F.
Another study conducted at
Brigham Young University found
that " The surface temperature of
the synthetic turf was 37° F higher than asphalt and 86.5° F hotter
than natural turf. " And, as neuroscientist Kathleen Michels points
out: " Any temperature over 120° F
can cause skin burns with skin contact in two seconds. "
Synthetic turf fields are advantageous for their all-weather
utility, zero recovery time under
heavy use and low (not " no " )
maintenance, and product manufacturers have been working to
find alternative infill materials
that would generate lower surface-level temperatures. However,
temperatures are on the rise across
the globe, leading to seemingly
longer, hotter periods - in midMarch this year, Mashable report-

ed that " Alaska saw its earliest ever
70-degree Fahrenheit temperature "
(https://mashable.com/
ar ticle/alaska-warm-high-tem
peratures-2019/) - and more and
more parents are becoming increasingly concerned about their
children playing on these fields on
hot days. So, what can be done to
try to lower the temperature for
individuals, particularly children,
who, the Penn State Center for
Sports Surface Research points
out, " are less able to adapt to
changes in temperature " ?

What Can Be Done?
The high surface-level temperatures on synthetic fields can lead
to dehydration, burns and blisters
if exposed skin comes into contact
with the hot surface, as well as heat
stroke. One of the first steps to take
is to have someone regularly monitor the temperature levels at the
surface of the sports field when it's
scheduled for use, particularly on
hot days. It's also helpful to post
signs to alert parents and players to
avoid using the field during times of
high heat. Many park and rec agencies and school systems, like New
York City Parks and Montgomery
County Public Schools (MCPS) in
Maryland, are already on board
with this recommendation put
forth by the Safe Healthy Playing
Fields Coalition. MCPS developed
the following heat guidelines that
apply to and are posted at all its artificial turf fields:
* Anytime the outdoor tempera-

May 2019 - Parks & Recreation

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