Across Ku-ring-gai residents are deeply alarmed by the growing trend of replacing natural grass with artificial turf particularly in light of the decision by Ku-ring-gai Council to proceed with the installation of synthetic turf at Norman Griffith Oval in Bicentennial Park, West Pymble, in March 2023.

The decision sparked significant opposition due to the potential environmental and health risks associated with the turf, including the release of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), toxic chemicals often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment. The installation of artificial turf in one of Ku-ring-gai’s most ecologically sensitive areas is raising serious questions about the future of the suburb’s parks and ovals—and whether this could be a dangerous precedent for other local sporting facilities.

PFAS have been found to accumulate in both soil and water, with devastating long-term consequences for ecosystems and human health. These chemicals are already widely spread in the environment, with studies showing that PFAS contamination in Sydney’s drinking water is far more pervasive than initially thought. As research has highlighted, PFAS are linked to a range of serious health issues, including cancer, immune system damage, hormonal disruptions, and liver disease. The widespread presence of PFAS in drinking water, along with mounting concerns about pollution from stormwater runoff in local waterways, is a growing public health crisis.

A patch of Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest (STIFF) is next to Norman Griffith Oval. STIFF is a critically endangered ecological community and may face risks from PFAS contamination.

Artificial turf installation at Norman Griffith Oval could set a dangerous precedent for other parks and ovals in Ku-ring-gai and across Sydney. If the environmental consequences of this decision are not fully understood, there is a real risk that more local sporting facilities could be converted to artificial turf, which may leach harmful PFAS into the local environment, contributing to the ongoing degradation of waterways, ecosystems, and public health.

On the 8 May 2024 community groups including Voices of Ku-ring-gai and the Natural Turf Alliance held a forum of experts on “A Non-Plastic Future for Community Ovals” at the Ku-ring-gai Town Hall on 23 June 2024.

Concerned West Pymble residents formed the Natural Grass at Norman Griffith Group (NGANG) and took Ku-ring-gai Council to the Land & Environment Court in August 2023. Their legal action argued that the Council failed to properly assess the environmental risks, particularly the dangers of chemicals leaching into nearby soil and waterways, and that the community had not been adequately consulted before the decision was made.

Unfortunately, the Land and Environment Court ruled in favor of Ku-ring-gai Council on October 6, 2023, allowing the installation of artificial turf to proceed. Despite this decision, many residents remain deeply concerned about the long-term consequences of this ruling and fear it could pave the way for similar installations across other ovals and parks across Sydney.

The decision has sparked a growing call for more rigorous environmental assessments and a re-evaluation of synthetic turf as a viable option for public spaces, especially in areas with sensitive ecosystems and water systems.

In the lead up to the September 2024 Ku-ring-gai Council elections, candidates were urged to take a firm stance against the installation of artificial turf in the future, especially in sensitive ecosystems. With PFAS contamination already a serious problem, the introduction of synthetic turf in more parks and ovals could exacerbate environmental damage and risks to human health.

Ku-ring-gai Council received a Clean Up Notice from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in March 2024. Council says it has complied with all the requirements to date and will continue to work with the EPA, ensuring the site is managed in accordance with approved environmental management controls and any other EPA requirements. View the Variation of EPA’s Clean-Up Action notice (PDF, 179KB).

The water quality of Quarry Creek that flows into the Lane Cove River is being tested and the results to be published on the Ku-ring-gai Council website.

Ku-ring-gai Council states that their water sensitive urban design elements (including a bio-retention basin and the “GPT which, post construction”) ” will result in a better quality of water entering Quarry Creek than was occurring prior to undertaking the project”.

The future of Ku-ring-gai’s parks and natural reserves need to have evidence-based confirmation that they are not under threat from pollutants, including PFAS , being released by artificial turf.

With more evidence emerging that PFAS in the environment have been significantly underestimated it is time to reconsider more local artificial turf ovals in Ku-ring-gai and Greater Sydney.

For a Ku-ring-gai Council update on the Norman Griffith Oval Upgrade read it HERE.



NOW READ THE ABC NEWS ARTICLE

Prevalence of PFAS ‘forever chemical’ in the environment likely significantly underestimated: study

ABC News by Fleur Connick

The unexpected discovery of a soon-to-be banned “forever chemical” in firefighting foams previously used in Australia has prompted concerns the chemical may be significantly more widespread in the environment than once thought.

Researchers from UNSW Sydney were analysing aqueous firefighting foams to characterise different types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, when they made the discovery.

They found a form of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) — known as “branched PFOA” — was more prevalent than expected, and when firefighting foam was released into the environment, its branched PFOA concentrations doubled over time.

PFOA is classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and is one of more than 14,000 different types of PFAS.

The study, published in Water Research, revealed the presence of branched PFOA in the environment may be significantly underestimated, including in waterways.

Researchers used a lab technique that mimics what happens to PFAS chemicals naturally in the environment but at a much faster rate.

They discovered branched PFOA was produced during that process.

Study co-author Denis O’Carroll said the finding was significant because branched PFOA was “previously undetected” in firefighting foams widely used across Australia.

“When firefighting foam is dispersed into the environment, even more of the branched PFOA will evolve because of the environmental transformations of some of the [other] types of PFAS, ” Professor O’Carroll, director of the UNSW Water Research Laboratory, said.

Australia is set to ban the import, use and manufacture of PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS from July 2025.

Professor O’Carroll said branched PFOA was included in that ban.

“It should have been phased out in firefighting foam already, but it could be in other products.”

A ‘significant concern’

PFAS are often dubbed as “forever chemicals” due to their resistance to decay. They can take hundreds or even thousands of years to naturally break down.

As well as firefighting foams, they’re also used for industrial purposes, such as pesticides and electronics, and household and personal care products such as cookware and dental floss.

Not only are they environmentally toxic, the synthetic chemicals can also build up in organisms and across food chains. This is known as bioaccumulation.

Professor O’Carroll said it was a “significant concern” that low traces of PFAS were estimated to be present in the blood of more than 99 per cent people worldwide. They’ve also been detected at unsafe levels in surface and ground water across the world.

Last month, Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) released a draft update to its 2018 guidelines around safe levels of PFAS in drinking water.


Of the thousands of types of PFAS available, the draft guidelines only focus on four: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS and PFBS.

According to the NHMRC, no guideline value has been proposed for branched PFOA or any other branched PFAS compound.

“NHMRC will consider additional PFAS if advised by the Water Quality Advisory Committee,” a spokesperson said.

“Additional PFAS may be added … in the future as part of the rolling revision of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.”

Professor O’Carroll said there were “definitely gaps” in what types of PFAS are tested for in Australia, and that branched PFOA and its PFAS precursors should be subject to drinking water guidance and regular monitoring.

“I would strongly advocate that we should be looking for the broad range of PFAS that are out there,” he said.

“If you go to a lab and say, I want to analyse three, or 17, or 23, or 40 [PFAS] — it’ll be the same cost. You might as well get more information.”

‘A ticking time bomb’

University of Adelaide molecular pharmacologist Ian Musgrave, who was not involved in the study, said the research had “important implications for ongoing monitoring and remediation” of PFAS contamination in our environment.

He was surprised by the high concentrations of branched PFOA found in the samples.

The problem with many of the branched PFAS compounds is “there’s not necessarily a good analytical process for them as they can be hard to detect”, he said.

Dr Musgrave also agreed with Professor O’Carroll about the importance in identifying and monitoring as many different types of PFAS chemicals in the environment as possible.

“[The study] clearly shows that the breakdown [of PFAS chemicals] can go in many ways … you might have a ticking time bomb in terms of concentrations.

“You can’t put up a sign and walk away, because the amounts will change over time.”

Removing PFAS from our waters

Moving forward, Professor O’Carroll said Australia needed to take a “measured response” to identifying and monitoring PFAS chemicals in our environment.

“We need to do more investigation, and we need to be pragmatic. We also need to work to develop technologies.”

The UNSW researchers have also been developing new ways to break down PFAS chemicals using zinc and vitamin B12.

Dr Musgrave said it was surprising that vitamin B12, under certain conditions, appeared to effectively break down PFAS.

He noted, however, that the process led to “highly fluoridated end products” that still had some level of toxicity, which isn’t ideal.

“But, on the other hand … you could use this as an initial system for breaking down PFAS into compounds which can then be handled by another system.”

Dr Musgrave said it was an interesting and important step forward, which could lead to faster remediation of contaminated sites.

REFERENCES

Athletes likely to have higher levels of PFAS after play on artificial turf – study by Tom Perkins, 16 March 2024 The Guardian.

What’s the story with Norman Griffiths Oval? Voices of Ku-ring-gai, 8 May 2024

Position Paper, How a large Synthetic Turf Sports Field was approved near an ecologically sensitive environment at Norman Griffiths Oval, West Pymble and the dangerous health, safety and environmental consequences of synthetic turf fields in general by Krystyn Haywood, 4 May 2023

Norman Griffiths court case: a loss for the community and the environment, STEP, 3 September 2023

Inquiry into Planning System and the impacts of Climate Change on the Environment and Communities, Friends of Lane Cove National Park, 3 November 2023