The Benefits of Natural Zeolite as an Infill
Synthetic turf is constructed from mats made of plastic with attached blades of synthetic material that simulates natural turf. Infill is distributed around the artificial blades to support grass fibers. When turf is irrigated or comes into contact with liquids from pet waste, the synthetic materials retain moisture and provide a habitat for bacterial growth and biofilms (Bartlett & James, 2011). Odors can also result from a build-up of ammonia in the infill, particularly when synthetic turf is used in animal litter areas.
Because of their honeycomb structure, natural zeolites are characterized by their ability to absorb water. This feature removes excess moisture from infill, which combats challenges surrounding bacterial growth. Also, zeolite has proven to withstand the process of hydration and dehydration (Hogg, 2015), meaning that the mineral provides long term water absorption capabilities with little maintenance.
Natural zeolite also combats odors that can generate from bacterial growth or ammonia trapped in the infill. Essentially, the ammonium in liquid waste is constantly undergoing conversion to ammonia gas. Zeolite controls odors by the ammonia produced by microbial activity on liquid waste (Hogg, 2003).