22 April 2024, Brussels
EMEA Synthetic Turf Council (ESTC) welcomes the findings from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) latest multi-agency research report on the safety of synthetic turf fields using crumb rubber infill.
The American study found that there was no significant difference in the presence of certain chemicals between players who played on synthetic turf fields that use crumb rubber infill, and those who played on natural grass fields.
These findings align with that of a number of earlier independent European studies and reaffirm the overall safety of synthetic turf fields that use crumb rubber infill.
Stefan Diderich, CEO of ESTC, said: “The findings of the EPA’s latest study confirm what we have asserted for many years in Europe: synthetic turf fields using crumb rubber infill present no significant risk to user health.
“We stand with our contemporaries at the Synthetic Turf Council (STC) in welcoming this development, and will continue to champion the wider benefits of synthetic turf, which provides communities around the globe with vital access to sport.”
The EPA report is available here: Federal Research on Recycled Tire Crumb Used on Playing Fields and Playgrounds | US EPA