--- title: "Is There Lead in Artificial Turf? | TIMELESS Grass & Greens" description: "Some turf has held lead from the pigment that colors its blades. What the CDC and CPSC found in 2008, why wear matters, and the paperwork to ask for now." url: https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/is-there-lead-in-artificial-turf/ updated: 2026-09-12 --- Heat and safety # Is there lead in artificial turf? * * * Updated 2026-09-12 The short answer ## Is there lead in artificial turf? Some artificial turf has contained lead, from the pigment used to color the blades. In 2008 the CDC flagged worn nylon and nylon-blend fields, while CPSC staff found lead in some products but estimated exposures under the limit they use for young children. New Jersey still reported lead-based pigments in 2025. Ask for an independent lab result on heavy metals for the exact product you are buying. Planning a turf installation? Get a layout, turf options and a written quote for your space. [Request a free estimate](https://www.timelessgrass.com/estimate/) [Call 303-349-2368](tel:3033492368) We’ll call to arrange a free site visit. [Jump to the checklist](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/is-there-lead-in-artificial-turf/#checklist-before-you-choose-turf) On this page On this page 1. [Some has, and it came from the color](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/is-there-lead-in-artificial-turf/#some-has-and-it-came-from-the-color) 2. [How it came to light](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/is-there-lead-in-artificial-turf/#how-it-came-to-light) 3. [Why worn turf matters more than new](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/is-there-lead-in-artificial-turf/#why-worn-turf-matters-more-than-new) 4. [What CPSC staff measured](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/is-there-lead-in-artificial-turf/#what-cpsc-staff-measured) 5. [What changed after 2008](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/is-there-lead-in-artificial-turf/#what-changed-after-2008) 6. [Not all lead on a field comes from the turf](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/is-there-lead-in-artificial-turf/#not-all-lead-on-a-field-comes-from-the-turf) 7. [What Florida’s rules say](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/is-there-lead-in-artificial-turf/#what-floridas-rules-say) 8. [What documentation is enough](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/is-there-lead-in-artificial-turf/#what-documentation-is-enough) 9. [If you already have old turf](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/is-there-lead-in-artificial-turf/#if-you-already-have-old-turf) 10. [Checklist before you choose turf](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/is-there-lead-in-artificial-turf/#checklist-before-you-choose-turf) ## Some has, and it came from the color Lead in turf traces back to pigment. In July 2008 the Consumer Product Safety Commission said lead is present in the pigments of some synthetic turf products “to give the turf its various colors.” A 2010 paper led by scientists at the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, published in [Environmental Health Perspectives](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2957910/), names the compound: lead chromate, a pigment used in turf fibers. That makes it a question about one product, not turf in general. CPSC staff found that lead content varied between installations, and even within one field depending on color. ## How it came to light It started at a ball field in Newark. The CDC’s June 2008 health advisory explains that New Jersey health officials, looking into a nearby metal facility, found high lead in the field’s dust. The lead did not come from the facility. It came from the turf. New Jersey then tested more fields. According to the advisory, that limited sampling showed: - **Nylon and nylon/polyethylene blend fibers** held lead at levels of potential public health concern. - **Polyethylene-only fields** had very low levels. - **Some fields with elevated lead** were weathered and visibly dusty. The CDC was careful about how far that went. The testing covered nylon turf, so it could not say whether other types held lead, and not all nylon turf had elevated lead. It also said no cases of elevated blood lead in children had been linked to turf athletic fields. ## Why worn turf matters more than new Lead inside an intact blade is hard to reach. The CDC said the risk from new fields with lead in their fibers is low because the fibers are still intact. As turf ages and weathers, lead is released in dust that can be swallowed or breathed in. The warning signs are ones you can see: fibers that are abraded, faded or broken, and visible dust. Age, heavy use and weather all push a field that way. Two years later the EHP authors reached the same point. Synthetic turf, they wrote, “can deteriorate to form dust containing lead at levels that may pose a risk to children.” Children under 6 are most at risk, the CDC said, because they have more contact with lead sources and absorb lead more easily. CPSC staff saw hand-to-mouth contact during or after play as the likely route. ## What CPSC staff measured The CPSC’s [staff report](https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/pdfs/turfassessment.pdf) tested blade samples for lead, then wiped turf surfaces to estimate how much might reach a child’s hands and mouth. It found: - **Lead content from 0.09 to 0.96 percent by weight** in the samples that had it. - **The highest wipe results** came from a green field installed in 1999 and removed in 2008. - **Some green turf sold new in 2008** still held lead, but very little came off in the wipe test. - **No tested field** gave an estimated intake above 15 micrograms a day, the level staff say should not be exceeded to protect young children. The press release headline read “OK to Install, OK to Play On.” The report is more guarded. It lists limits on the wipe method and on its assumptions about skin and hand-to-mouth transfer. A footnote says the comments are the staff’s and were not reviewed or approved by the Commission. Staff still asked for voluntary standards “to preclude the use of lead in future products.” They also advised that young children wash up after outdoor play, above all before eating. ## What changed after 2008 The [EHP paper](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2957910/) reports two steps: - **The industry agreed voluntarily** to reduce lead levels in line with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. - **A 2009 California consent judgment** under Proposition 65 barred several turf businesses from selling certain products in that state with more than 100 mg/kg of lead. The same paper said that, as of 2010, no standardized methods existed to test synthetic turf for lead or to assess the hazard. Lead has not dropped out of the record. New Jersey’s environment department wrote in October 2025 that detectable lead has been found in synthetic turf because lead-based pigments are used in making it, and that lead can harm children’s growth and development. It also found limited information on chemicals in turf fibers. For how fiber type fits in, see [polyethylene, nylon or polypropylene turf](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/polyethylene-vs-nylon-vs-polypropylene-turf/). ## Not all lead on a field comes from the turf Keep this in mind if you read a field test. The New Jersey report notes that lead and other metals can be carried onto a surface by players, blown in from nearby ground, or deposited from traffic and industry. So a result from a used surface may not reflect the turf alone. In a small pilot study the report summarized, 13 blood samples from people aged 11 to 21 showed no observable increase in metals after activity on outdoor turf. That is useful, but it is one small study. It does not stand in for a test of the product you buy. ## What Florida’s rules say In northeast Florida, two written rules apply: - **Statewide.** [Rule 62-308.100](https://flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=30839130&type=1&file=62-308.100.doc) sets minimum standards for turf on single-family lots of an acre or less. It says turf, “including backing material and infill, must not contain heavy metals.” It took effect on 19 May 2026. Our [Florida infill guide](https://www.timelessgrass.com/guides/florida-turf-infill-rules/) covers the rest of it. - **Atlantic Beach.** The city’s installation guidelines require turf “free of hazardous materials and heavy metals,” and list manufacturer product specifications among the documents the city needs to see. Neither text names a test method or a numeric limit. Ask your city’s building or planning office what it will accept before material is ordered. This is a summary, not legal advice. ## What documentation is enough A word like “lead-safe” on a product page is not a document. These carry more weight: 1. **An independent lab report on heavy metals in the yarn.** The Synthetic Turf Council’s landscape buying guide lists lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury, zinc and tin, compliant with state and ASTM International standards and validated by an independent test lab. 2. **A result for each metal, not only the word “compliant.”** A number lets you compare products and answer a city that asks. 3. **Coverage of backing and infill.** Florida’s rule reaches both, not only the blades. 4. **The same product and color on the report and the quote.** Lead content changed with color in the CPSC tests. 5. **The manufacturer’s product specifications,** the paperwork Atlantic Beach asks for. For a school or club field, the same questions apply at a larger scale on our [sports field turf](https://www.timelessgrass.com/services/sports-field-turf/) page. ## If you already have old turf For older turf, the CDC’s 2008 advisory set out these steps: - Look for abraded, faded or broken fibers and for visible dust. - Ask your state or local health or environment department how to sample for lead. - Replace worn, dusty turf as soon as practicable. - Talk to your child’s pediatrician about whether a blood lead test makes sense. Its general advice holds for any surface: wash children’s hands often, and always before they eat. ## Checklist before you choose turf 1. **Write the exact product and color** on the quote. 2. **Ask for the independent heavy-metal lab report** for that product, with a result for lead. 3. **Check the report covers backing and infill** if you’re in Florida. 4. **Ask your city what it needs to see,** especially in Atlantic Beach. 5. **On old turf, check for faded, broken fibers and dust,** and call your health department about testing. 6. **Keep the paperwork** with your house records. Bring these questions to the free visit. We measure the area and check the ground, and you can hold each sample up against its documents. ## Common questions ### Does new turf have lead in it? You can't tell by looking. In the [CPSC staff tests](https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/pdfs/turfassessment.pdf) from 2008, some green turf sold new that year still held up to 0.47 percent lead by weight, though very little came off in a wipe test. New Jersey's environment department still described lead-based pigments in turf manufacturing in October 2025. A lab result for the exact product is what answers it. ### Is nylon turf more likely to contain lead than polyethylene? That is what the 2008 testing showed. The CDC advisory said New Jersey's limited sampling found lead of potential concern in nylon and nylon/polyethylene blend fibers, and very low levels in polyethylene-only fields. It also said not all nylon turf had elevated lead. Treat that as history, not a rule for products sold today, and ask for the test. ### Does Florida ban heavy metals in artificial turf? On single-family lots of an acre or less, yes. [Rule 62-308.100](https://flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=30839130&type=1&file=62-308.100.doc), in effect since 19 May 2026, says turf, including backing and infill, must not contain heavy metals. Atlantic Beach separately requires turf free of hazardous materials and heavy metals. Ask your city's building or planning office what paperwork it accepts. ### Should old turf be tested for lead? If it's worn, faded or dusty, ask about it. In 2008 the CDC recommended testing nylon or nylon-blend turf with abraded, faded or broken fibers or visible dust, and replacing worn, dusty fields as soon as practicable. It sent facility managers to their state or local health or environment department for sampling methods. ## Related turf questions - [Do athletes get hurt more on turf fields than on grass?](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/turf-vs-grass-field-injury-rates/) - [Artificial turf around a pool: what to plan for](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/artificial-turf-around-a-pool/) - [How Much Room a Backyard Golf Net or Hitting Bay Needs](https://www.timelessgrass.com/blog/backyard-golf-net-and-hitting-bay-space/) ## Where to go next - [Artificial lawns](https://www.timelessgrass.com/services/residential-turf/) - [Sports field turf](https://www.timelessgrass.com/services/sports-field-turf/) - [Turf replacement](https://www.timelessgrass.com/services/turf-removal-and-replacement/) - [Turf in Northeast Florida](https://www.timelessgrass.com/northeast-florida/) - [Turf infill in Northeast Florida: sand, shell or rock — not rubber](https://www.timelessgrass.com/guides/florida-turf-infill-rules/) Useful links - [CPSC staff: Analysis and Assessment of Synthetic Turf "Grass Blades" (July 2008), with Table 1 test results](https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/pdfs/turfassessment.pdf) - [Van Ulirsch et al., Environmental Health Perspectives 118(10), 2010: Evaluating and Regulating Lead in Synthetic Turf](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2957910/) Free estimate ## Planning a turf installation? Tell us about the area you want to install or replace. We’ll call to arrange a free site visit. [Or call 303-349-2368](tel:3033492368) Your free estimate includes - A visit to measure your space - A custom layout, drawn for your space - Turf options, side by side - A written price, with no pressure to sign [Request a free estimate](https://www.timelessgrass.com/estimate/) Five short steps. We’ll call to arrange your visit.