Children swarmed the artificial-turf soccer field at Asphalt Green yesterday, but a sign at the gate might have raised a red flag for their parents.“This field can get hot on warm, sunny days,” said the posting by the city’s Parks Department.
“If you experience symptoms of heat-related illness, such as dizziness, weakness, headache, vomiting, or muscle cramps, move to a shaded area. Drink water, rest, and seek medical attention if you do not feel better.”
This sign will soon appear at all of the city’s 94 artificial turf fields — as well as at the 68 fields planned for the future — to warn the public about the risks of overheating and dehydration.
After a decade of installing artificial turf, the city’s Parks Department is finally acknowledging what’s long been known: Fake grass get hot.
One day last month, the artificial turf at Brooklyn’s Cadman Plaza was 165.5 degrees, while a nearby plot of grass measured just 83 degrees. Waves of heat rose from the field.
“It’s outrageous,” said Josh Srebnick, a pediatric neuropsychologist who was playing with his five-year-old son, Jake.
One study cited by the Health Department in a recent report on the turf said, “At temperatures above 120 degrees, it only takes 3 seconds to burn a child’s skin severely enough to require surgery.”
The Parks Department has never taken surface temperatures, but this summer it will begin to conduct its own tests of “air quality” on hot days, said a spokesperson. It’s also “exploring” alternatives to rubber-infill turf “to make fields cooler.”
Watchdog group NYC Park Advocates has discovered the carpet-style alternative gets as hot as 160 degrees.
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“At temperatures of 120 degrees, it only takes 3 seconds to burn a child’s skin severely enough to require surgery.”
