Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Quantifying the Sustainability of Football (Soccer) Pitches: A Comparison of Artificial and Natural Turf Pitches with a Focus on Microplastics and Their Environmental Impacts

A comparative life cycle assessment of artificial turf and natural grass football pitches found that artificial turf generates substantial microplastic emissions, particularly from rubber crumb infill, with total environmental impacts differing by metric.

2024 Sustainability 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring how municipalities address microplastics pollution in stormwater – a case study in a Swedish municipality

Researchers investigated how one Swedish municipality has approached the problem of microplastic pollution in stormwater, finding that most actions targeted rubber crumb infill from artificial turf fields and plastic litter. Despite political prioritization and a formal action plan, limited resources constrained implementation of broader measures. The study offers a practical example of how local governments navigate emerging pollutants that lack strict regulatory frameworks, which is relevant for developing national microplastics policy.

2024 Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 2 citations
Article Tier 2

An environmental problem in the making: how media logic molds scientific uncertainty in the production of news about artificial turf in Sweden

Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 journalists, editors, public officials, politicians, industry representatives, and experts in Sweden to examine how media logic shapes news coverage of artificial turf as a microplastic pollutant, finding that media framing conventions drive interpretations of scientific uncertainty and amplify the issue as an environmental problem.

2023 Journal of Science Communication 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Concept development of granular traps : A study to reduce the spread of microplastics from artificial turf

This Swedish engineering thesis developed a concept for granular traps to prevent microplastics from artificial turf sports fields from spreading to surrounding environments via stormwater runoff. Tire crumb rubber and artificial turf infill are major sources of microplastic pollution in urban waterways.

2021 KTH Publication Database DiVA (KTH Royal Institute of Technology)
Article Tier 2

Dynamic material flow analysis of microplastics lost from artificial turfs: A case study from Norway

Researchers used dynamic material flow analysis to quantify microplastic losses from artificial turf football fields in Norway over their entire service life. The model estimated that significant quantities of rubber infill microplastics are lost annually to surrounding environments via runoff and wind, informing the EU REACH restriction on intentionally added microplastics.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental impacts of artificial turf: a scoping review

This scoping review examines the environmental impacts of artificial turf, documenting concerns around microplastic pollution from synthetic grass fibers and infill materials, chemical leaching, and end-of-life waste disposal.

2024 International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms of Generation and Ecological Impacts of Nano- and Microplastics from Artificial Turf Systems in Sports Facilities

This review examines how artificial turf in sports facilities generates nano- and microplastics through mechanical wear, UV radiation, and weathering of synthetic grass fibers and infill materials. These plastic particles have been detected in drainage systems and surrounding soils near sports facilities, with laboratory studies showing harmful effects on soil organisms and aquatic life. The findings highlight artificial turf as an overlooked but significant source of microplastic pollution in urban environments.

2025 Environments 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Parks and Recreational Areas as Sinks of Plastic Debris in Urban Sites: The Case of Light-Density Microplastics in the City of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Researchers found that parks and recreational areas in Amsterdam act as significant sinks for light-density microplastics, with artificial turf infill, tire rubber, and film fragments as dominant types, suggesting urban green spaces accumulate substantial plastic pollution from recreational and maintenance activities.

2021 Environments 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Marketing and the Challenges of Green Marketing Communication: Survey of Consumer Attitudes and Buying Behaviour for Sustainable Products in the Czech Republic

Not relevant to microplastics — this survey examines Czech consumer attitudes toward sustainable products, exploring the gap between professed environmental values and actual purchasing behavior, and the challenges of green marketing communication.

2024 WSB Journal of Business and Finance 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The dark side of artificial greening: Plastic turfs as widespread pollutants of aquatic environments.

This study found that artificial turf fibers made of polyethylene and polypropylene are widely present in river and ocean waters, having been transported there by stormwater runoff from sports fields, gardens, and rooftops. The findings reveal artificial turf as an underappreciated and widespread source of microplastic fiber pollution in aquatic environments.

2023 Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
Article Tier 2

Coopetition in Sustainable Apparel Manufacturing : An interview study

This interview-based study examined how competing apparel companies cooperate on sustainability initiatives, finding that shared environmental goals — including reducing synthetic fiber and microplastic pollution — can overcome competitive barriers.

2023 Trepo - Institutional Repository of Tampere University
Article Tier 2

Fate of recycled tyre granulate used on artificial turf

Researchers reviewed the environmental fate of recycled tyre rubber granulate used as infill on artificial turf fields, finding that while the material provides significant CO2 savings compared to alternatives, dispersal of approximately 3,000-5,000 kg per field per year to surrounding environments raises microplastic pollution concerns.

2021 Environmental Sciences Europe 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Toward More-Than-Human Understandings of Sport and the Environment: A New Materialist Analysis of Everyday Fitness Practices

This new materialist analysis of fitness practices explores how sport intersects with environmental harm, highlighting microplastic pollution from synthetic sportswear as an overlooked consequence of everyday fitness consumption.

2021 Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating the Role of Tourists and Impact of Knowledge, Behaviour, and Attitude Towards Plastic Waste Generation

Researchers surveyed tourists to assess how their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior influence plastic waste generation at outdoor recreation sites, finding that awareness gaps drive littering and that circular economy approaches could convert tourist-generated waste into local economic opportunity.

2022 Circular Economy and Sustainability 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Gaps, challenges and drivers for environmentally sustainable textile and garment manufacturing in India

This is a policy and sustainability study reviewing the challenges and opportunities for environmentally sustainable textile manufacturing in India; it is not a microplastics research paper, though synthetic textile production is indirectly linked to microfiber pollution.

2023 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Next steps for research on society and microplastics

This perspective paper outlined priority directions for social and behavioral science research on microplastics, building on the established contributions of social sciences to understanding policy, stakeholder views, and public behavior around plastic pollution. The authors called for greater integration of social science methods to address governance gaps and support effective microplastic management.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Environmental sustainability from the perspective of political economy

Not relevant to microplastics — this book chapter takes a political economy perspective on environmental sustainability, discussing climate change, biodiversity loss, and plastic pollution at a broad policy and philosophical level rather than conducting original microplastics research.

2023 1 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Tyre granulate on the loose; How much escapes the turf? A systematic literature review

Without mitigation measures, an average artificial football turf loses approximately 950 kg/year of tire rubber infill to the environment, with snow removal adding up to 830 kg/year more. The most effective reduction strategies target snow clearing, mechanical brushing, and granulate carried off by players.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Perceived Approaches to Abating Microplastic Pollution in Chicago-Area Waterways

This study explored how conflicts of interest and differing belief systems among stakeholders in the Chicago area create barriers to developing effective microplastic pollution legislation. Using an advocacy coalition framework, it highlights the political and social dynamics that can slow environmental policy action.

2019 ScholarWorks (Walden University)
Article Tier 2

Enhancing Sustainability Development for Waste Management through National–Local Policy Dynamics

This study analyzed waste management policy coherence across national and local government levels in Indonesia, finding significant gaps in implementation that undermine sustainable development goals and allow plastic pollution from poor waste management practices to persist.

2023 Sustainability 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Management Systems and Microplastic Pollution: Bridging Science, Policy, and Practice

This review examined how environmental management systems can be applied to address microplastic pollution, bridging the gap between scientific research, corporate practice, and regulatory policy. The authors found that voluntary management frameworks and ISO-aligned approaches offer practical pathways for industry to reduce microplastic emissions, though mandatory regulatory standards are ultimately needed for systemic change.

2025 SSN Journal of Management & Technology Research Communications
Article Tier 2

Uncovering hidden determinants of millennial farmers’ intentions in running conservation agriculture: An application of the Norm Activation Model

Not relevant to microplastics — this study applies the Norm Activation Model to understand why millennial farmers in Central Java, Indonesia do or do not adopt conservation practices on degraded mountain agricultural land.

2024 Open Agriculture 3 citations
Article Tier 2

A microplastic used as infill material in artificial sport turfs reduces plant growth

Researchers found that rubber crumb microplastics used as infill in artificial sport turfs reduced plant growth, highlighting that plastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems may pose risks to vegetation that are currently poorly understood.

2019 Plants People Planet 110 citations
Article Tier 2

Widespread Occurrence of Non-Extractable Fluorine in Artificial Turfs from Stockholm, Sweden

Researchers found widespread non-extractable fluorine contamination in artificial turf samples from Stockholm, indicating the presence of PFAS compounds that could not be fully identified or quantified. Artificial turf fields are a known source of both microplastic rubber particles and toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances entering the environment.

2023