The manufacturer should be asked to supply to the purchaser an assurance that the sports surface together with its supporting layers, does not contain in its finished state any substance which is known to be toxic, mutagenic, teratogenic or carcinogenic when in contact with the skin. Furthermore that no such substances will be released as a vapour or dust during normal use. (page 27)
The average life of a full size pitch is around 10 years, based on standard quality, proper installation, adequate maintenance, normal exposure to sunlight and normal usage over its
lifetime. It covers around 7,000m2 and weighs on average 220-240 tonnes. This document gathers all the recycling facilities for synthetic turf systems based in Europe.
Eurofins Environment Testing Australia now offers the targeted analysis of 6-PPD quinone & HMMM by isotope dilution LC-MS/MS in wastewaters and stormwater run-off as well as playground rubber crumb samples. These emerging contaminants have been implicated in what is called Urban Runoff Mortality Syndrome (URMS) that gained notoriety in early 2021 when scientists from University of Washington using high-resolution accurate mass liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QToF-MS) documented tyre additives and their degradants viz 6-PPD and its ozonation product 6-PPD quinone that were responsible for the deaths of Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in Pacific Northwest America.
Classed as emerging contaminants, our Team in Brisbane have developed a method to determine 6-PPD quinone and HMMM at parts per trillion (ppt) levels in surface water, sediments, and rubber crumb widely used in sports fields and playgrounds as well as some multipurpose outdoor activity areas.
TEC’s AUSMAP research into rubber crumb, a recycled granulate (<5mm) made from end-of-life tyres which is used as infill for synthetic turf fields and for playground surfaces, is attracting
attention. It’s a collaborative effort with a northern Sydney council aiming to address current knowledge gaps in relation to the loss of rubber crumb and synthetic grass blades, and the
effectiveness of existing stormwater mitigation traps, at a synthetic sports field in Sydney’s north-west.
Research on the production, use, and disposal of artificial turf has brought to light concerns over environmental contamination, human health hazards, and adverse effects on wildlife. Researchers have studied a variety of contaminants found in artificial turf and different types of infill used to soften its surfaces.