A new report calls for artificial 3G sports stadiums to be banned in Scotland because they may contain cancer-causing chemicals.
Research from the University of Stirling says crumb rubber padding on pitches across the country should be replaced with alternative materials.
The report said Scottish sporting bodies were too reliant on information that “lags behind science” and added that the Scottish Government was “procrastinating” on the issue.
The Scottish Government told BBC Scotland News that there are no alternative options as “effective” as the 3G proposals currently in use.
The rubber used in 3G pitches is often sourced from used car tires and can contain carcinogenic chemicals such as lead and mercury.
The European Commission aims to ban crumb rubber filling in sports stadiums by 2031, but neither the UK nor Scottish governments have set a similar deadline.
The new study was authored by Professor Andrew Watterson, a public health researcher at the university's School of Health Sciences and Sport.
He told the BBC that crumb rubber should be “phased out” and replaced with materials such as natural grass or cork because “there are no safe levels of carcinogens”.
“It's deeply flawed.”
Professor Watterson said: “The evidence on the chemical health and environmental hazards of crumb rubber, and the gaps in risk assessment, shows that stricter precautions and prevention strategies for synthetic pitches in Scotland are essential.” Stated.
“With so many chemicals now recognized in plastics, many of which are unregulated, personal health and environmental risk assessments for known hazards are extremely slow, complex and impractical. It has become.”
Professor Watterson added that the research used by governments and sporting bodies was “often seriously outdated, deeply flawed and significantly behind the latest international research available”.
This claim was refuted by the Scottish Government, which stated that “at least 95% of the substances used are within the limits set out in the EU Scope (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) Restrictions” .
The spokesperson added: “There is currently no widely available alternative filling product on the market that is more effective, suitable for all UK weather conditions, meets the required performance standards and has proven durability.” .
image source, Maguire family
Lewis Maguire and his father Nigel
Professor Watterson's study, “Crumb rubber on Scottish sports pitches: a case study: can its continued use be justified?'' also notes the negative impact it has on the environment, as crumb rubber is a source of non-degradable micro- and nano-plastics. ing.
A report by the UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on crumb rubber and microplastics is due to be published in 2025.
Activists in England have been calling for a ban on the pitch since 2016, when Darlington's teenage goalkeeper was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Lewis Maguire died in March 2018, and his father Nigel has previously said he believed chemicals in shredded rubber on the pitch played a role in his son's cancer diagnosis.
However, Newcastle coroner Karen Dilks concluded that Lewis died of natural causes and complications from cancer surgery.
The Sport and Play Construction Association referred BBC Scotland News to a statement on its website in December 2023 published by the association and a number of sporting bodies, including Sportcottland.
The group said artificial pitches were “an essential part of modern community sport” but that organizers “understood” the concerns raised.
The statement continued: “None of the alternatives to rubber powder have appeared on the market, and little is known about their performance, durability, availability, lifecycle costs, and, importantly, their impact on the player experience. No,” he added.
Stefan Diederich, CEO of the EMEA Synthetic Turf Council (ESTC), said numerous independent scientific studies have shown that European rubber infill poses no health risks and over the past four years He said a large-scale study was carried out across Europe. Year.
He added: “The European Commission's decision to ban the sale of synthetic and recycled fillers such as ELT rubber from 2031 is part of a wider environmental strategy to reduce microplastics.”
“The same rules apply to other product categories such as cosmetics and detergents and have nothing to do with potential health concerns.
“We are fully committed to the use of sustainable alternatives to granular rubber fillings, with many natural fillings such as cork, engineered olive stone and wood chips already available on the market today. I support you.”
He added that a ban on 3G pitches in Scotland would have a “serious negative impact on the provision of sports facilities across the country”.
