The Bethlehem district school board has recently been debating whether to spend $4.5 million on installing and updating turf fields at local schools. The board sees the seemingly beneficial aspects of synthetic turf - it stays in decent condition, despite weather and wear and doesn’t get waterlogged and drains easily, unlike most sod-based fields.

But what if enough people brought the very real, very dangerous issues associated with synthetic turf to their attention? Would they go forward with their plan?

Synthetic turf, currently used in many schools and towns across the country, has been known to transmit toxic chemicals and carcinogens to young athletes who play on these types of fields.

A recent NBC News report, told the story of young soccer goalie Austen Leahy who died of lymphoma, and the suspected cause of her cancer was the synthetic materials present in artificial turf on which she played.

“We certainly didn’t think that it was harmful because we never questioned what was in it, what the make of it was,” said Austen’s mother, June, in an interview on the program. “It was just a new surface that had a bit of cushioning.”

Soccer goalies have most frequently been diagnosed with cancer, either lymphoma or leukemia, since they have more primary contact with the ground than other athletes, according to the NBC report. But other athletes are not exempt from synthetic turf’s lethal consequences.

Not only artificial turf been linked to cancer, it can also result in other health problems. Because it contains no real grass and can easily rise to temperatures over 150° in the summer time, this extreme heat so close to athletes’ bodies increases their risk of heat exhaustion during their games and practices. Also due to the lack of natural grass, dirt, and other elements, it has been reported that any injury sustained on synthetic turf field are more severe, right from the moment of impact. Turf burns are especially nasty and prone to infections (like MRSA) unless properly and immediately treated.

Persuasive turf vendors say that studies have not linked synthetic turf to cancer, but the studies cited have not independently looked at the long-term effects. I don’t want those people in decision-making positions to ignore these issues because they’ve been misinformed.

So what can we do to prevent further deaths and limit the negative effects of synthetic turf? First, at all artificial fields, we can demand for health warning signs to be posted at the entrance. We can also find a way, perhaps through school boards, to educate parents about the dangers, in order to encourage them to consider their kids’ safety.

In addition to these precautions, it is our responsibility to urge our public officials to do what they can to stop synthetic turf fields from being installed in towns and at schools.

It is up to us to help our young athletes-my peers and friends-stay healthy and happy. Keeping them off synthetic turf is a good first step.

For more information: synturf.sustainlv.org.

Molly Majewicz is a junior at Muhlenberg College, majoring in Music and in Media & Communication. She is currently doing a semester-long internship in communication at the Alliance for Sustainable Communities-Lehigh Valley, a coalition of individuals, organizations, small businesses, and farmers who work to sustain and enhance the quality of life in this area, with a focus on ways to promote long-term environmental and social sustainability in our communities.