AstroTurf has agreed to pay hefty fines and replace fields installed over the last five years in its recent settlement with the California Attorney's General's Office. In its lawsuit, the Attorney's General's Office claimed the U.S. arm of FieldTurf Tarkett, AstroTurf and the Beaulieu Group "knowingly and intentionally exposed individuals within the State of California to lead."

Although the ruling will only impact California, AstroTurf has agreed to cut the presence of lead (used to keep colors vibrant) to 50 parts per million by June 2010.

"As schools and daycare centers replace grass with artificial turf, extreme care must be taken to minimize lead exposure," California Attorney General Jerry Brown said in a statement.

"This agreement is the first of its kind and will help make playgrounds and ball fields safe for our children."

For its part, the artificial field manufacturer has not admitted fault. "Out of concern for the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of California and all of the folks who come in contact with any of our products, we took immediate action," AstroTurf President Bryan Peeples said in a statement. "Our products were already deemed safe by national standards. We respect the additional concerns of California, and have already eliminated any intentionally added lead."