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Microplastics - a growing environmental risk
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This study investigated the spread of rubber granulate from artificial football pitches into surrounding environments, tracking particles from playing surfaces to adjacent soils, drainage systems, and surface waters. Granulate spread was substantial and extended beyond field boundaries, entering aquatic systems through stormwater pathways.
Global plastic production is constantly increasing.322 million tonnes of plastic was produced in 2015, and this rate is expected to double by 2050.The ubiquity and durability of plastic products combine to make plastic waste one of the most serious long-term threats facing aquatic environments around the world.• About 40% of the plastic produced in Europe is used in packaging, 20% is used in the construction industry, and 20% is used in our homes -in textiles, furniture, electronics and health care products, for instance.Little is yet known about how much microplastic is generated through each of these use categories. Microplastics -a growing environmental risk
More Papers Like This
Spreading of microplastics from artificial turf via stormwater
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This Swedish study investigated microplastic dispersal from artificial turf football fields via stormwater runoff, finding that rubber infill granules from these fields are a major pathway for microplastic contamination of nearby water bodies — particularly significant given the popularity of artificial turf in Sweden.
Tracking Microplastics from Artificial Football Fields to Stormwater Systems
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Microplastic rubber granules from artificial football turf were tracked through stormwater systems, documenting transport pathways and quantities reaching the marine environment. The study quantifies artificial turf as the second largest source of intentionally added microplastics entering the environment in Sweden.
Emissions of >1 mm rubber granule infill from artificial turfs: a case study from two football pitches
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Those artificial turf soccer fields with rubber crumb infill are shedding tiny plastic rubber bits into the soil and, once it rains, that rubber can wash straight into local streams and lakes with little to stop it. Researchers found the amount escaping varied a lot between fields depending on how they're used and maintained, showing this is a real and manageable pollution source rather than a fixed problem. While this study focused on environmental spread rather than direct health effects, it's a reminder that the microplastics you might track home on your shoes after a game don't just disappear—they end up in waterways, adding to the broader mix of plastic pollution
Gummigranulat på konstgräsplaner - en miljörisk till följd av spridning via dagvattensystemet.
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This Swedish study examines how rubber granulate from artificial turf football fields is released into the environment through stormwater runoff, and discusses the growing environmental concern as synthetic turf installations increase across Sweden. The report evaluates the scale of microplastic pollution from this widespread source.
Microplastics in freshwater sediments : an investigation of stream sediments downstream of artificial football turfs
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This Norwegian thesis investigated whether rubber granulate infill from artificial football pitches contaminates nearby stream sediments with microplastics, testing the fate of tire-derived particles in freshwater environments. The study addresses concerns that artificial turf is one of the largest sources of microplastic emissions in Norway and Sweden.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.