AstroTurf

Artificial grass began as a space-age solution to the perceived problems of urban life. But AstroTurf and its more advanced descendants have become a surface of contention as professional athletes struggle to gain more control over their working conditions.

AstroTurf is a product of contemporary chemistry, made of nylon filaments knitted to a polyester backing over a foamed plastic base. 

When you look more closely, the material’s history reveals a desire to replace nature. It’s a complicated human story of power, passion, and harm.

In the wake of World War II, plastics began to proliferate throughout the consumer marketplace. As scientists found ways to create new polymers, corporations sought new commercial markets for this material.

Education researchers funded by the Ford Foundation worried that urban schools lacked adequate playing fields. Could plastic go where grass couldn’t grow? They reached out to Chemstrand, a subsidiary of the chemical giant Monsanto, that made nylon for clothes and carpets.

In 1964 the company developed Chemgrass by taking filaments of nylon, a synthetic polymer invented in the late 1930s, dyeing them green, and shaping them into grass. The first artificial grass went to Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island. But a much higher profile market soon emerged.

In 1965, a new stadium opened in Houston, Texas. It was the Astrodome, a name playing on the city’s new role as the location for NASA’s mission control center. Initially the stadium had a clear plastic roof and a natural grass field.

However, the panes of Lucite made it difficult for outfielders to track baseballs against the light. When stadium managers painted over some of the panes, the grass began to die.

Chemgrass was laid for the start of the 1966 Season. The scoreboard announced: “You are about to witness an historic event. The first baseball game on a manmade surface—AstroTurf—developed by Chemstrand Division of the Monsanto Company.”

Monsanto’s ads emphasized the toughness of artificial turf, while also pointing out that fields could be quickly rolled out for different sports. Artificial turf did not need water, fertilizers, or pesticides. The surfaces were touted as safer for athletes’ bodies as well.

Future baseball Hall of Famer Andre Dawson felt that the AstroTurf in Montreal’s Olympic stadium was wrecking his knees.

In 1987 while team owners were illegally colluding to fight free agency, Dawson famously offered a blank contract to the Chicago Cubs who played on natural grass.

Engineers responded to athletes' concerns. Second-generation artificial turf featured longer grass fibers and “soil” made from used tires and shoes. Third-generation artificial turf replaces synthetic rubber with “soils” made from natural products such as coconut husks.

Turf science programs at research universities have also investigated how artificial surfaces could be made safer. The PennFoot instrument developed at Penn State University measures traction by sliding athletic shoes across artificial turfs and varieties of grass.

Members of the women’s World Cup soccer teams have used social media to show the burns that turf caused on their legs.

In the 21st century, athletes have used podcasts and digital publications to control how their stories are told.

Concerns about artificial turf became a recurring feature, like in this conversation between star football brothers Jason and Travis Kelce.

Concerns have also been raised about the chemicals used to make artificial turf. In 2023 the Philadelphia Inquirer commissioned an analysis of the AstroTurf from the city’s former Veterans Stadium. At least 16 different kinds of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were detected.

Sometimes called “forever chemicals,” PFAS have been linked to cancer in a range of health studies. Notably, at least six former Philadelphia Phillies who played at the Vet have died of glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer.