One of the high schools in my conference during high school was well-known for being of a higher -- ahem -- economic bracket than the rest of the schools in our area. There was no greater evidence of this status than the year they installed field turf on their soccer field. This was at a time when the synthetic blend was brand new and considered extremely fancy. The athletes at our school all harbored a deep grudge against our ritzy neighbors to the east, but took minor solace in the hope that the turf would one day turn and destroy them. A study released today, however, crushes all of those vengeful dreams.