Cancer fear over ‘safe’ playgrounds

Ministers have called for urgent tests on rubberised material used in some artificial football pitches and children’s playgrounds amid fears that rubber from old tyres could be a cancer risk.

The environmental health agency Anses will now test the quality of the rubber used. Tests last year by the Euro­pean Chemicals Agency ECHA found a low risk but highlighted doubts on the level of dangerous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAH in old tyres imported to the EU to make rubber granules used as infill material in the pitches.

The ECHA only tested samples from pitches in Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and UK and said materials used in other countries could be different and contain more PAH.

ECHA recommended users of artificial pitches wash their hands after playing and clean any cuts while indoor sites should also be well ventilated.

About 200 artificial pitches open in France each year and Paris mairie, which has 59, said it would not build any more until after the new tests.