The long run of artificial turf flying under the radar of researchers, policymakers, and the public is officially over. Last year felt like a turning point in discussions around artificial turf among multiple stakeholders. On the research side, 2022 brought an estimated 157 new publications related to artificial/synthetic turf, the second-highest number of academic papers on the topic in a single year. Diversity is the keyword in these publications. Starting with geographic diversity, 2022 saw strong publications from Asia and Australia complementing those from the United States and Europe which have traditionally led research in artificial turf. Additionally, diversity continues when it comes to topics covered by researchers. The breadth of disciplines covered everything from traction studies in sports science, injury research from kinesiology, environmental toxicology on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and user perceptions of artificial turf from a social science perspective…
