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Various artificial materials and facilities are sources of microplastics, including artificial turf sports fields. In artificial turf fields, polyethylene fibers are attached to a basal cloth with adhesives. In the present study, we investigated whether the fibers in the field were detached from the basal cloth or torn in the field, and whether they moved to the surrounding ditches that were connected to sewage pipes. In the field, we collected fibers shorter in length compared to the original and these were free from basal cloth, indicating the tearing of the fibers due to players’ activities. We also collected fibers from the ditches, which indicated a migration of the fibers from the field into the ditches. These results suggest that the fibers in ditches could enter sewage treatment plants and be released into the aquatic environment as microplastics. We also examined whether goldfish, Carassius auratus, ingested these fibers, and observed that the fish ingested them with feed while the fish did not without feed. These results indicate that the fiber ingestion by the fish occurred unintentionally when they swallowed their feed. The present study demonstrated that artificial turf fibers in sports fields could turn into microplastics that can be ingested by wild fishes.

The traction forces generated during studded boot‐surface interactions affect player performance and injury risk. Over 20 years of empirical research into traction on third‐generation (3G) artificial turf has met with only limited success in supporting the development of safer surfaces and boots. Thus, the purpose of this perspective article is to present a conceptual framework for generating scientific understanding on 3G turf traction through a novel mechanistic approach. A three‐stage framework is proposed. Firstly, the hypothesized traction mechanisms and related analytical equations are identified, namely, friction between the boot outsole and surface; shear resistance of the performance infill layer to the outsole; and compressive resistance of the performance infill layer to horizontal stud displacement. Secondly, a Concept Map is generated to visually represent the contribution of the 39 variables identified as directly affecting the traction response. Finally, a Research Roadmap is constructed to guide the direction of future traction studies toward the development of safer surfaces and boots as well as improved mechanical tests to assess surface safety. The proposed framework represents the first attempt to deconstruct boot‐surface interactions and hypothesize the science behind the mobilization of traction forces.

OBJECTIVES: The impact of playing surfaces on related remains a subject of debate, with limited research comparing injury patterns across various sports and competition levels. METHODS: This study utilized the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database from 2004 to 2023. Sports-related injuries that occurred on artificial turf and natural grass playing surfaces were identified and analyzed. RESULTS: Of 21,868 injuries, 76.3% occurred on grass and 23.7% on turf. Rugby (OR: 8.35) and lacrosse (OR: 8.42) injuries were more common on turf, while soccer and softball injuries were more frequent on grass. Dislocations (OR: 4.73) and lacerations (OR: 5.41) were more likely on grass, while strains/sprains (OR: 1.16) and contusions (OR: 1.96) were more common on turf. CONCLUSION: This study reveals significant variations in injury patterns that occur on artificial turf and natural grass playing surfaces across various sports and age, providing valuable evidence on the potential risks and differences in injury patterns associated with each surface.

Owing to the extensive use of artificial turfs worldwide, over the past 10 years there has been much discussion about the possible health and environmental problems originating from styrene-butadiene recycled rubber. In this paper, the authors performed a Tier 2 environmental–sanitary risk analysis on five artificial turf sports fields located in the city of Turin (Italy) with the aid of RISC4 software. Two receptors (adult player and child player) and three routes of exposure (direct contact with crumb rubber, contact with rainwater soaking the rubber mat, inhalation of dusts and gases from the artificial turf fields) were considered in the conceptual model. For all the fields and for all the routes, the cumulative carcinogenic risk proved to be lower than 10 −6 and the cumulative non-carcinogenic risk lower than 1. The outdoor inhalation of dusts and gases was the main route of exposure for both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic substances. The results given by the inhalation pathway were compared with those of a risk assessment carried out on citizens breathing gases and dusts from traffic emissions every day in Turin. For both classes of substances and for both receptors, the inhalation of atmospheric dusts and gases from vehicular traffic gave risk values of one order of magnitude higher than those due to playing soccer on an artificial field.

ObjectivesThe objective was to describe the typical duration of absence following the most common injury diagnoses in professional football.MethodsInjuries were registered by medical staff members of football clubs participating in the Union of European Football Association Elite Club Injury Study. Duration of absence due to an injury was defined by the number of days that passed between the date of the injury occurrence and the date when the medical team allowed the player to return to full participation. In total, 22 942 injuries registered during 494 team-seasons were included in the study.ResultsThe 31 most common injury diagnoses constituted a total of 78 % of all reported injuries. Most of these injuries were either mild (leading to a median absence of 7 days or less, 6440 cases = 42%) or moderate (median absence: 7–28 days, 56% = 8518 cases) while only few (2% = 311 cases) were severe (median absence of >28 days). The mean duration of absence from training and competition was significantly different (p < 0.05) between index injuries and re-injuries for six diagnoses (Achilles tendon pain, calf muscle injury, groin adductor pain, hamstring muscle injuries and quadriceps muscle injury) with longer absence following re-injuries for all six diagnosesConclusionsThe majority of all time loss due to injuries in professional football stems from injuries with an individual absence of up to 4 weeks. This article can provide guidelines for expected time away from training and competition for the most common injury types as well as for its realistic range.

ObjectiveThe use of cost-saving artificial playing surfaces continues to grow in popularity; now outnumbering natural grass by a 3:1 ration in NCAA football. The relationship of artificial surfaces to concussion remains poorly defined. To determine if difference exist in rates of SRCs caused by helmet to surface during NCAA football events played on artificial turf surfaces as compared to natural grass.DesignDescriptive epidemiology study.Setting and ParticipantsDuring the 2004–2005 through 2013–2014 NCAA football seasons, all participating college football players who were diagnosed with concussions that occurred during practices and games for preseason, regular season and postseason periods.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe NCAA Injury Surveillance System (ISS) Men’s Football Data Set for 2004–2014 seasons was analyzed to determine the incidence of concussions. Injury rates were calculated per 10,000 athlete exposures (AEs) and rate ratios (RR) were used to compare injury rates during different event contact-mechanisms compared on the two different playing surfaces. Analogous methods were used to compare concussion injury rates during games on turf versus natural grass stratified by specific mechanism of injury.Results3,009,2015 athlete exposures and 1,919 concussions on natural grass or artificial turf surfaces were reported from 2004–2014. Concussion rates were significantly higher during games as compared to practices (30.10 vs. 4.04 per 10,000 AEs respectively; P<0.001). When stratified by mechanism of injury, athletes participating in games on artificial turf experienced concussions resulting from contact with the playing surface at 2.12 times the rate compared to those playing on natural grass (RR=2.12; 95% CI 1.03 – 4.62).Conclusions and RelevanceArtificial turf is a risk factor for concussions caused by contact with the playing surface in NCAA football games more than natural grass and is now a proven concern to be addressed.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyse the incidence and prevalence of hamstring injuries in field-based team sports. A secondary aim was to determine the impact of other potential effect moderators (match vs training; sport; playing surface; cohort age, mass and stature; and year when data was collected) on the incidence of hamstring injury in field-based team sports.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesCINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE Complete (EBSCO), Embase, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus databases were searched from database inception to 5 August 2020.Eligibility criteriaProspective cohort studies that assessed the incidence of hamstring injuries in field-based team sports.MethodFollowing database search, article retrieval and title and abstract screening, articles were assessed for eligibility against predefined criteria then assessed for methodological quality using the Critical Appraisal Tool for prevalence studies. Meta-analysis was used to pool data across studies, with meta-regression used where possible.ResultsSixty-three articles were included in the meta-analysis, encompassing 5952 injuries and 7 262 168 hours of exposure across six field-based team sports (soccer, rugby union, field hockey, Gaelic football, hurling and Australian football). Hamstring injury incidence was 0.81 per 1000 hours, representing 10% of all injuries. Prevalence for a 9-month period was 13%, increasing 1.13-fold for every additional month of observation (p=0.004). Hamstring injury incidence increased 6.4% for every 1 year of increased average cohort age, was 9.4-fold higher in match compared with training scenarios (p=0.003) and was 1.5-fold higher on grass compared with artificial turf surfaces (p<0.001). Hamstring injury incidence was not significantly moderated by average cohort mass (p=0.542) or stature (p=0.593), was not significantly different between sports (p=0.150) and has not significantly changed over the last 30 years (p=0.269).ConclusionHamstring injury represents 10% of all injuries in field-based team sports, with 13% of the athletes experiencing a hamstring injury over a 9-month period most commonly during matches. More work is needed to reduce the incidence of hamstring injury in field-based team sports.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020200022.

Results: Of the 108 included studies, 67 evaluated a SRC prevention strategy (personal protective equipment n = 25, policy/rules n = 21, training n = 10, management n = 11) and 41 evaluated potential MRFs (34 distinct MRFs across nine categories). There is insufficient female/woman/girl-specific evidence to support other concussion/head impact/HAE-specific prevention strategies across personal protective equipment, policy/rules, training, and or management targets. The development, implementation, and evaluation of female/woman/girl-specific SRC prevention strategies are needed to reduce the SRC burden in this under-researched sport population.

Objectives: As the emphasis on player safety in the national football league (NFL) has increased in recent years, numerous risk factors for injury have been closely scrutinized for their roles in placing players at increased risk. One such factor, the use of artificial turf football fields, has become a controversial topic, with many current and former players stating that turf fields place players at higher risk for injury while alternative sources have suggested there is no significant injury rate between artificial and natural grass surfaces. The purpose of this study was to quantify the rate of lower extremity injuries occurring in NFL players on artificial turf compared to natural grass surfaces and to characterize the degree of time missed with injury and the proportion of injuries requiring surgery. We hypothesized that major lower extremity injuries requiring surgical intervention occurred on artificial turf surfaces at a higher rate than on natural grass. Methods: Lower extremity Injury data for the 2021 and 2022 NFL seasons were obtained using publicly available records from the internet. All reported lower extremity injuries during the regular and playoff seasons were analyzed. Upper extremity, head, and back injuries were excluded. Preseason data was also excluded. Data collected included player position and age, playing surface of the field on which, the injury occurred, injury type, weeks missed with injury, and whether the patient underwent season-ending or minor surgery. Statistical analysis was performed using R Software (Rlabs). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data, including percentages and counts for categorical and ordinal data and means with interquartile ranges for continuous data. Incidences of injury on both grass and turf fields were calculated for the 2021 and 2022 seasons by taking a ratio of the number of injuries that occurred and the number of games played on respective fields. Additionally, injuries were stratified by subsequent number of games missed: 0 games missed, 1-2 games missed, >6 games missed. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the influence of field type on the risk of major surgery. A p-value less than 0.05 was statistically significant. Results: In total there were 327 (44.12%) lower extremity injuries in 2021 and 391 (54.45%) lower extremity injuries in 2022, resulting in a total of 718 lower extremity injuries. A demographic summary of these injuries by position, age, field, and history of previous injury is displaced in Table 1. Combining the 2021/2022 seasons, the incidence rate of lower extremity injury on natural grass surfaces was 1.22 injuries/game while for turf surfaces, the incidence rate was 1.42 injuries/game (Table 2). Injury severity was stratified by weeks missed. Odds of a season-ending surgery were found to be significantly higher on turf surfaces compared to natural grass surfaces (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.28-1.99, p<0.05), while additional variables, including weather, age, position, and week of injury occurrence and history of prior injury were not found to influence the odds of season-ending surgery. In total, there were 50 players injured on the grass who required lower extremity surgery and 83 players injured on turf who required lower extremity surgeries. The most common surgeries after a lower extremity on grass were ACL repair (17), Achilles repair (9), and ankle or syndesmosis ORIF (7). The most common surgeries after a lower extremity on turf were ACL repair (30), Achilles repair (12), patella ORIF, or patellar tendon repair (8) (Table 3). Conclusions: The debate about playing on artificial turf versus natural grass has persisted for several years; however, there is a discrepancy in data reported on these overall injury rates. Our study showed that NFL athletes were more likely to get injured on artificial surfaces and that turf dramatically increased the likelihood of suffering a serious injury requiring surgery. These findings support earlier research, highlighting the necessity of putting player safety first and reducing dangers on pitches with artificial turf. For players, coaches, and teams to make wise decisions about playing surfaces, the study offers useful information regarding playing safety. Overall, it indicates that there is a higher risk of lower extremity injuries on artificial grass in the NFL, confirming the continuing discussion about field safety.

The presence of carcinogenic substances in rubber granulate made from old car tyres raised concerns that the use of this granulate as infill on synthetic turf pitches may cause leukaemia and lymphoma in young football players and goalkeepers. Limitations in a number of prior studies on the topic casted doubts on their conclusion that it was safe to play sports on such pitches. Rubber granulate samples from 100 Dutch synthetic turf pitches were analysed for 45 (all samples) or 79 substances (a subset). A subset of samples was additionally analysed for migration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates and metals into sweat and the gastrointestinal tract, and for evaporation of volatile substances into air. Exposure scenarios were developed to estimate the exposure of amateur football players via the oral, dermal and inhalation route to the most hazardous substances in rubber granulate. Risks to human health were assessed by comparing toxicological reference values for these substances with the exposure estimates. A number of carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances were present in rubber granulate used on Dutch pitches. No concern was, however, identified for phthalates, benzothiazoles, bisphenol A and the metals cadmium, cobalt and lead, as their exposures were below the levels associated with adverse effects on health. PAHs appeared to be the substances of highest concern, but even they present no appreciable health risk with exposures resulting in additional cancer risks at or below the negligible risk level of one in a million. 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. Based on current evidence, there is no reason to advise people against playing sports on such pitches.