An unpublished study by
Rutgers University examined
crumb rubber from synthetic fields in
New York City. It found six potentially carcinogenic
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at levels excessive to state regulations. The researchers warned that the findings could have been affected by solvent extraction used to release the chemicals from the rubber. In a statistical study of the list of soccer players with cancer provided by UW coach
Amy Griffin, public health researchers for the
State of Washington found that the rates of cancer were lower than was estimated for the general population. They recommend that players not restrict their play due to the presumed health benefits of being active. In 2007, the
California Office of Environmental Health Assessment (OEHHA) simulated interactions children could possibly have if they came in direct contact with artificial turf. Results showed that five chemicals, including four
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were found in samples. One of these compounds, chrysene, was present at levels higher than the standard established by OEHHA.
Chrysene is a known carcinogen, meaning it can increase the risk of a child developing cancer. In late 2015, the
United States Congress'
House Energy and Commerce Committee ordered for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate a link. As of 2016, the EPA, the
Consumer Product Safety Commission and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating. In 2018, a study commissioned by the Dutch minister of Health, Welfare and Sport from the Dutch
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment stated that "our findings for a representative number of Dutch pitches are consistent with those of prior and contemporary studies observing no elevated health risk from playing sports on synthetic turf pitches with recycled rubber granulate". A 2019 Yale study concluded that there were 306 chemicals in
crumb rubber and that 52 of these chemicals were classified as carcinogens by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They stated that there is "a vacuum in our knowledge about the carcinogenic properties of many crumb rubber infill." They concluded that "The crumb rubber infill of artificial turf fields contains or emits chemicals that can affect human physiology." In 2020, the European Risk Assessment Study on Synthetic Turf Rubber Infill was completed; published in
Science of the Total Environment, this was a scientific study funded by companies and industry associations from the tyre granulate supply chain, drawing on data from diverse parts of Europe. The researchers concluded that "there are no relevant health risks associated with the use of synthetic turfs with ELT-derived infill material". A 2022 study published in the same journal analyzed the composition of synthetic turf football pitches from 17 countries. It confirmed the presence of "hazardous substances in the recycled crumb rubber samples collected all around the world" including PAHs of high and very high concern. The study concluded that different stakeholders "must work on a consensus to protect not only human health but also the environment, since there is evidence that crumb rubber hazardous chemicals can reach the environment and affect wildlife." The paper did not, however, discuss cancer risk in any detail. In March 2023, investigative reporters from the
Philadelphia Inquirer bought souvenir samples of the old
Veterans Stadium AstroTurf used from 1977–81 and commissioned diagnostics through the Eurofins Environmental Testing laboratory. The resulting lab report linked
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the turf. Six former
Philadelphia Phillies who played at Veterans Stadium, home to the team from 1971 to 2003, died from
glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer:
Tug McGraw,
Darren Daulton,
John Vukovich,
Johnny Oates,
Ken Brett, and
David West. In 2025,
Northeastern University conducted a study examining the chemical transformations that occur as artificial turf degrades and breaks down over time. The researchers simulated natural and environmental processes, such as increased heat and sunlight exposure. They were able to replicate many of these environmental processes through a photoreactor to help accelerate the deterioration within the turf and crumb rubber that we would usually see naturally over time. Researchers found that the chemicals grew and multiplied into over 572 different chemical compounds. The study builds on the foundations of tire-centric research, most notably, they researched heavily on
6PPD, a compound that is found and used in the manufacturing of rubber tires that prevents cracking. When 6PPD reacts with our atmosphere, it mutates into
6PPD-quinone, a compound that is known to be extremely toxic and harmful to coho salmon. The runoff and presence of 6PPD-quinone within aquatic environments are highly correlated with rising mortality rates within fish species such as coho salmon. The study also discovered other harmful compounds that mutated from the degradation of crumb rubber, including 4-HDPA, which has been linked as a potential
endocrine disruptor. Researchers noted that many of the mutations and emerging chemical compounds have not been tested for impact on human health. Researchers are working towards discovering causal chains between artificial turf and long-term health impacts. ==Testimonies==