As California installs more artificial turf, health and environmental concerns multiply

California installs more fake grass than any other state each year.

Proponents cite water savings and no need to apply pesticides. Critics raise concerns about health risks and environmental impacts from plastic fields.

Los Angeles will consider banning artificial turf in October.

Fields of plastic, or fake turf, are spreading across the Golden State from San Diego to Del Norte counties.

Some municipalities and school districts embrace them, saying they are good for the environment and promote kids’ activity and health. But some cities including Los Angeles are considering banning the fields, citing concerns about children’s health and the environment.

Nowhere in the country is turf growing faster than in California — on school athletic fields, city parks and residential lawns. Exact