A PEEBLESSHIRE councillor has raised fears over the health risks associated with 3G artificial sports pitches.

“This is a potentially massive problem which we cannot ignore,” said Councillor Gavin Logan (Con, Tweeddale East) at last week’s meeting of Scottish Borders Council.

And he called for a ban on the installation of the pitches in the region pending the outcome of studies currently underway in Holland and the USA.

Mr Logan said the former review had been prompted by a Dutch documentary, screened last year, which revealed that the rubber crumb used on the artificial surface to give it more bounce and made from used car tyres contained potentially harmful toxic chemicals and carcinogens.

He noted that Dutch football club Ajax had already agreed to remove all 30 of its academy’s 3G pitches.

With financial help from Sportscotland, SBC installed a 3G pitch at Netherdale in Galashiels in 2012 and another at Volunteer Park, Hawick, last November.

The council has already committed nearly £1m to create a facility with a similar surface at Lothian Park, Jedburgh, by 2019.

Plans for a 3G pitch in Peebles have been put indefinitely on the back burner after no suitable site could be identified.

The region’s 2G pitches – at Peebles High School, Tweedbank, Hawick and Selkirk – are sand-based and contain no pellets of rubber crumb.

Mr Logan stated: “I believe this council should, as a precautionary measure, arrange for chemical tests to be carried out on the 3G product as it is installed and guarantee that similar tests should be carried out on all products used to repair pitches when they require upgrading or replacement.”

Responding, Councillor Vicky Davidson, SBC’s executive member for culture, sport, youth and communities, said the current advice from the Scottish Government, which itself receives specialist advice from Health Protection Scotland, was that the levels of exposure to chemicals present in rubber crumb products have been found to be very low.

“Studies to investigate whether these compounds are released from the material on ingestion, if biomarkers of exposure are higher in players using these pitches or whether extracts of the product are mutagenic [capable of inducing a mutation in a living organism] demonstrate no current health concerns,” said Ms Davidson.

“Current estimates of cancer risk associated with worst case exposure scenarios, including to children, are below levels considered of a concern to human health.

“Therefore, Based on both past and most recent research, the pitches are considered safe for use.

“The council uses reputable contractors and suppliers for the construction of their artificial pitches. The suppliers of the rubber crumb infill undertake testing to ensure it meets the legal requirements.

“The council continues to take advice from Sportscotland and other government agencies and will review its position following completion of the ongoing studies in the USA and EU.”