Artificial turf gains popularity on the Gulf Coast, but how is it for the environment?

Artificial turf is becoming a popular choice for homeowners across the Gulf Coast, offering a low-maintenance alternative to natural grass. "You don't need to have any irrigation or anything. It maintains by itself," said Alexandra Cubeddu, a Naples resident who recently installed artificial turf in her backyard. She said that the decision was driven by the desire for less upkeep. "We didn't want natural, because of the maintenance," Cubeddu said. While artificial turf offers convenience, it also raises environmental concerns. Puspa Adhikari, an associate professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, explained the materials used in turf. "Artificial turf are made up of plastic, and they are mainly polyethylene, polypropylene or nylon kind of plastic. So it's all artificial chemicals," Adhikari said. Adhikari noted that artificial turf does not fully decompose. "It will cause them breaking into smaller fractions. And if they are too small, we call them microplastic. And sometimes if they are really, really small, we call them as a nanoplastic. Heat, rain, and stuff like that, they all cause breaking those plastic into tiny plastic pieces and runoff catches, and they go into the coastal environment, like the rivers," Adhikari said. Despite these concerns, Adhikari pointed out some environmental benefits of artificial turf. "You don't have to irrigate them. So water use, you don't have to use fertilizers, you don't have to use pesticides, which are very common down here," Adhikari said. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.