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A brand new report has known as for synthetic 3G sports activities pitches to be banned in Scotland resulting from doubtlessly cancerous chemical compounds contained inside them.
The research by Stirling University said that crumb rubber infill on pitches throughout the nation needs to be changed with different materials.
Scottish sports activities our bodies are too reliant on info “lagging behind the science” in accordance with the report, which added that the Scottish authorities was “procrastinating” on the issue.
The Scottish authorities advised BBC Scotland News that no different choices had been as “effective” as the present 3G pitches in use.
The rubber utilized in 3G pitches is commonly from used automobile tyres, which might comprise chemical compounds resembling lead and mercury which are presumably carcinogenic.
The European Commission has focused 2031 to ban crumb rubber infill from sports activities pitches however neither the UK nor Scottish authorities have set the same timeframe.
The new research is authored by Prof Andrew Watterson, a public well being researcher on the college’s college of Health Sciences and Sport.
He advised the BBC that as “there are no safe levels for carcinogens” crumb rubber needs to be “phased out” and changed by pure grass or supplies resembling cork.
‘Deeply flawed’
Prof Watterson said: “Evidence on crumb rubber chemical health and environmental hazards as well as risk assessment gaps indicate a tougher precautionary and prevention strategy on synthetic pitches in Scotland is essential.
“There are so many chemical compounds now recognised in plastics, many unregulated, that this renders particular person well being and environmental danger assessments of recognized hazards too gradual, sophisticated and impractical.”
Prof Watterson added that the research used by governments and sports bodies was “usually critically outdated and deeply flawed, lagging properly behind the most recent worldwide analysis accessible.”
This claim was refuted by the Scottish government, which said “no less than 95% of the fabric in use falls throughout the limits set in restriction beneath EU Reach (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals).”
A spokesman added: “There are currently no widely available alternative infill products with proven durability on the market that are as effective, suitable for all UK weather conditions and deliver the required performance standards.”
Image supply, MAGUIRE FAMILY
Lewis Maguire and his father Nigel
Prof Watterson’s research, titled Crumb Rubber in Sports Pitches in Scotland: A Case Study: Can Continued Use Be Justified?, additionally cited the destructive impression of crumb rubber on the surroundings, as it’s a supply of microplastics and nanoplastics that don’t degrade.
A report by the UK authorities’s Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on crumb rubber and microplastics is because of be printed in 2025.
Campaigners in England have known as for a ban on the pitches since 2016, when a teenage goalkeeper in Darlington was recognized with Hodgkin lymphoma.
Lewis Maguire died in March 2018 and his father Nigel beforehand said his perception that chemical compounds contained in shredded rubber on the pitches contributed to his son being recognized with most cancers.
However, Newcastle coroner Karen Dilks concluded that Lewis died of pure causes and problems from most cancers surgical procedure.
The Sports and Play Construction Association referred BBC Scotland News to an announcement on its website from December 2023, printed by the organisation and plenty of sports activities our bodies, together with sportscotland.
It said that synthetic pitches had been “an integral part of modern community sport” however that the organisations “understand” considerations raised.
The assertion added: “Any of the alternatives to rubber crumb are new to the market, and little is known about their performance, durability, availability, lifecycle cost and, importantly, the impact on player experience.”
Stefan Diderich, chief govt at EMEA Synthetic Turf Council (ESTC) stated plenty of impartial scientific research had proven that there have been no well being dangers related to European-sourced rubber infill, with a serious pan-European research having taken place within the final 4 years.
He added: “The European Commission’s decision to ban the sale of synthetic and recycled infill such as ELT rubber from 2031 is part of a wider environmental strategy to reduce microplastics.
“The similar guidelines additionally apply to different product classes resembling cosmetics, and detergents, and don’t have anything to do with any potential well being considerations.
“We fully support the use of sustainable alternatives to granular rubber infill, with a number of natural infills such as cork, processed olive stones and wood chip already available on today’s market.”
He added that banning 3G pitches in Scotland would “seriously harm the provision of sports facilities across the country”.
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