In response to Cornell University’s claim that its new infill-free, water-based outdoor synthetic turf system for the Game Farm Road field hockey facility was “PFAS-free,” Zero Waste Ithaca and allies commissioned three independent laboratory analyses under full chain of custody. All three accredited labs detected total fluorine and other indicators of PFAS bound within the turf blades, contradicting Cornell’s claim.
These results were excluded from judicial review on procedural grounds but remain scientifically valid and publicly available below.
Sample info
- Turf manufacturer and model: Greenfields (subsidiary of TenCate) TX Pro Plus
- Sampling date: July–September 2025
- Chain of custody: maintained for all samples
- Labs involved: Galbraith (TN), RTI (MI), Bigelow (ME)
PFAS Overview
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of more than 14,000 persistent chemicals used in plastics and other industrial materials. They are extremely persistent in the environment and the human body, and many compounds have been linked to adverse health effects at very low concentrations. Cornell’s “non-detect” result used EPA Method 1633, which screens for only 40 specific PFAS compounds — excluding polymeric PFAS bound within plastics such as synthetic turf. The tests below by Galbraith and RTI Laboratories detected total fluorine, a broader indicator of PFAS presence. All reports were conducted independently by accredited labs under verified chain of custody. Cornell’s “non-detect” report is also included below for record and comparison.
Galbraith Laboratory – Total Fluorine (July 29, 2025)
Galbraith analyzed a turf blade sample collected July 24–28, 2025. The total fluorine concentration was 53 parts per million (ppm), a strong indicator of PFAS presence. Total fluorine testing is a standard screening method for detecting PFAS in materials.
RTI Laboratories – SEM/EDS (July 31, 2025)
RTI used Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) to examine the turf blade’s cross-section. The analysis found fluorine concentrations of 0.320 weight percent (3,200 ppm) and 0.166 weight percent (1,660 ppm) at two points within the blade.
Elemental mapping confirmed fluorine was distributed throughout the material, indicating PFAS are built into the turf’s polymer rather than present as surface contamination.
Bigelow Laboratory of Ocean Sciences – EPA Method 1633 (September 23, 2025)
Bigelow Laboratory tested a turf blade sample from Cornell’s Game Farm Road field using EPA Method 1633 — the same method Cornell cited in its filings. This method targets only forty individual PFAS compounds and does not detect the polymeric PFAS bound within plastics such as synthetic turf.
Even within that limited scope, Bigelow’s analysis detected trace levels of PFBS and PFHxS, two PFAS compounds below formal reporting limits but scientifically significant. Their presence shows that the turf was not PFAS-free and that Cornell’s reported “non-detect” result was inaccurate. When viewed alongside total-fluorine results from Galbraith and RTI, which confirmed fluorine, a strong indication of PFAS, at parts-per-million levels, the Bigelow findings reinforce that PFAS are present in both polymeric and non-polymeric forms in the material.
Cornell’s “Non-Detect” Report (EPA Method 1633)
Redacted version of the laboratory report Cornell submitted in court, included for transparency and comparison. Cornell’s testing used EPA Method 1633 with a higher detection threshold than Bigelow, which contributed to a “non-detect” result.
Chain-of-Custody Documentation
Redacted copies of the original chain-of-custody forms confirm verified sample transfer and handling procedures for each lab. Contact information and signatures have been removed for privacy.
Expert Affirmation – Ecology Center (Ann Arbor, MI)
Jeff Gearhart, M.S., Research Director at the Ecology Center (Ann Arbor, MI), submitted a professional affirmation supporting Zero Waste Ithaca’s PFAS findings. Based on his review of total fluorine and SEM/EDS data, Gearhart concluded that the fluorine signals observed in the turf samples are consistent with the presence of PFAS bound into the turf polymer rather than surface contamination. He also emphasized that EPA Method 1633 — the same test used by Cornell — is insufficient to detect polymeric or bound PFAS in solid plastics like synthetic turf, and that total fluorine and SEM/EDS screening are essential complementary methods.
Download: Redacted Affirmation of Jeff Gearhart (PDF)
All redacted documents on this page omit case identifiers and personal information while retaining full technical content.
Related Field Evidence – PFAS in Surface Water Near Cornell’s Neimand-Robinson Turf (June 7, 2025)
A separate water sample collected behind Cornell’s Neimand-Robinson softball synthetic turf field (42.43696, -76.46863) detected PFOA and PFOS, two of the most toxic and well-recognized PFAS compounds regulated by the U.S. EPA. The total PFAS concentration was 5 parts per trillion (ppt), above the EPA’s health-based goal of zero for both PFOA and PFOS.
Although this site is separate from the laboratory reports for the Game Farm Road field hockey field, the finding indicates PFAS migration in surface water near Cornell’s other synthetic turf installations, underscoring broader environmental concerns about leaching and runoff.
This page summarizes independent laboratory findings related to PFAS contamination in synthetic turf installed at Cornell University’s Game Farm Road field hockey field. It does not include details of the legal proceedings. Zero Waste Ithaca is preparing to appeal the lower court’s decision, continuing to challenge the approval of PFAS-containing turf under New York’s State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) law. For background, see our November 10, 2025 press release: “Cornell’s “PFAS-Free” Turf Claim Proven False – How Deference Undermines Environmental Review“
For supporting scientific, policy and media coverage references, see The Case Against Artificial Turf Expansion at Cornell: A Zero Waste Ithaca Bibliography (180+ pages, regularly updated, annotated and indexed by topic; start with the table of contents and use Ctrl + F for keywords).
Page created: November 10, 2025 — updated as new information becomes available.