READ MOREThe use of crumb rubber derived from used car tyres in artificial turf pitches is potentially environmentally polluting. Substances including zinc and mineral oils are released from the granules and can end up in soil and water. In 2016, ZEMBLA devoted two episodes to examining the possible health risks of crumb rubber. Partly as a result of these programmes, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) conducted additional research on crumb rubber. This did not entirely resolve the debate about the health risks. In addition, the RIVM pointed out that there are also environmental risks associated with the use of crumb rubber. The RIVM had already indicated this well over a decade ago in 2007. Today, there are several thousand crumb-rubber pitches in our country. Dozens of these pitches are replaced every summer. ZEMBLA investigated whether soil contamination has occurred under these artificial turf pitches. In the spring of 2017, the four major cities in the Netherlands and trade association BSNC published a research report, which showed that many of the rubber granules from the artificial turf mats are scattered in the surrounding environment. What effect does this dispersal of rubber have on soil and water? ZEMBLA sought to find the answers to the following questions: who is responsible for the potential environmental damage and how do municipalities, the tyre industry and the companies installing artificial turf pitches deal with this issue?