Essay On Artificial Turf

Artificial turf has been directly linked to an increase in serious injuries including turf toe, ACL tears, foot lock, turf burns, heat exhaustion, and concussion. Turf toe is a painful hyperextension of the large toe. It is a result of when the cleats of the player’s shoe grabs the artificial turf mesh and causes an overextension of the large toe. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears are one of the foremost common artificial turf injuries. The ACL ligament is located deep within the knee joint. It connects the knee to the tibia and the femur. It is caused when the bones of the leg twist in opposite directions under full body weight and the ACL tears because it cannot handle the pressure. On artificial turf, it is common for the cleat of the player’s shoe to become stuck to the artificial turf. The player twists their …show more content…
Soils in natural grass fields contain helpful bacteria, which naturally sanitize the surface by decomposing human body fluids, algae and animal excrements. Artificial turf lacks significant populations of these natural cleansers, leaving the job of sanitation to man-made cleansers, which then must be flushed to leave the surface safe for athletic play. But other bacteria, such as that found in sand and rubber infill of artificial turf, can cause infection and even life-threatening health problems. Because sand and artificial turf has a lower microbiological activity than soil, harmful bacteria do not have to compete with beneficial microbes that grow in artificial turf root zones, allowing the harmful bacteria to multiply to dangerous levels, creating an increased opportunity for dangerous infection. Brad Fresenburg, artificial turf specialist from the University of Missouri’s Division of Plant Sciences, describes how synthetic fields are virtual breeding grounds for harmful bacteria due to the combinations of warmth, moisture, sweat, spit and blood.