Artificial turf has been touted as the eco-friendly and pro-recycling option for used tyres. In theory, this is a good idea but is it the same in practice? In the last decade, it has become increasingly obvious that something is not quite right. With the World’s eye focused on the World Cup in Qatar, where we allow the future of the beautiful game to practice, is of utmost importance. 

It has been discovered that chemicals in artificial turf, particularly the rubber crumb have adverse health outcomes for those that use them the most: our children. These chemicals are Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl PFAS) and are found in many samples of the crumb which lies among the plastic grass in artificial turf. These are common chemicals and are used in many household items like non-stick pans, stain-resistant clothing and firefighting foam. However, it does not make them safe.

The problem with PFAS is that they aren’t eco-friendly and do not degrade. Instead, they leach into our soil, air and water and cause health issues like altered metabolism, fertility issues and some forms of cancer. With knowing that these chemicals have harmful, it is beyond comprehension why we continue to allow our children to be exposed to these pitches.

Football coach, Amy Griffin realised in 2014 that an alarming number of goalkeepers had developed cancer after routinely playing on artificial pitches. PFAS are transferrable and can enter the bloodstream when goalies dive and have cuts and abrasions on their bodies. She began to compile a list of all the athletes who both played on artificial turf and had developed cancer and by 2019, there were 260 young athletes on that list. She conceded that there have not been enough epidemiological studies done to determine the risks of playing on synthetic pitches however, she states that, “What we do know is synthetic turf fields contain  a cocktail of PFAS, carcinogens and other harmful chemicals that have been known to cause cancer and other severe illnesses.  “Hoping” these fields are safe,  is not a procedure I stand by when we know what we know. If the general public was educated about the components in these fields when the fields were first installed, there would have been pushback.” She feels that a return to natural grass is preferable to risking any more lives by using low-grade and dangerous rubber crumb and artificial turf. 

However, the reality is that it is now 2022, almost 2023 and there have been more pitches installed, despite concerned community members making appeals. Families Against Rubber Carcinogens in Artificial Pitches (FARCAP) is being highlighted by Find Others in their fight to get stricter policies in place regarding where these pitches can be installed. 

Vivianne, the concerned grandmother behind FARCAP recalls, “I couldn't understand why our council thought that it was acceptable to risk health and lives, not just the players on the pitch but the 630 pupils at the primary school next door, all school staff, parents and visitors.”

She noted that one councillor said that he didn’t think that there were “that many cancer incidents” and was happy to move ahead with the application and installation of the pitch. Any case of cancer or adverse health outcomes should be one of the primary concerns when councillors make choices that will impact the community over which they preside. One case of cancer is one too many when it is preventable. The option to use more expensive, but less harmful rubber crumb artificial turf should be the standard. Especially when the resources are available. In this situation, £45,000 extra would have yielded a return on investment of £2.5 million or more, depending on the letting fees. Why this wasn’t done instead, is anyone’s guess.

Sport’s governing bodies and associations such as The Football Foundation should be more invested in having healthy happy players than committed to using cheaper resources with poorer outcomes. 

The other issue is that the public are not being made aware about the potential risks of allowing their loved ones to play on artificial turf with rubber crumb. Sports England has created and distributed hygiene guidance posters that are not being used by a single club, school or sports and leisure centre. Nor have they been placed in areas that the public would see the information and make better, informed choices about how and where they play. With some of the chemicals in the rubber crumb being over 2,000 times more carcinogenic than those allowed in children’s toys, it is not a sensible decision to allow children to play on these surfaces. At the very least, restrictions need to be put in place, either for age or distance from where children would ordinarily play. After all, our government’s website states, “The first duty of the government is to keep citizens safe”.

If you support Vivianne’s battle to remove hazardous artificial turf from school groups and leisure facilities, please support the campaign, and make sure to raise the issue with your local schools and sports centres. The more people that speak up, the more likely change is. When it comes to our families, we play for keeps.