A major new investigation has uncovered disturbing evidence of a potentially cancer-causing pesticide contaminating the majority of children's playgrounds across England. The research, conducted by the charity Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK), detected residues of the controversial weedkiller glyphosate in over sixty per cent of the play areas tested.
Widespread Contamination in Play Spaces
Scientists from PAN UK analysed samples from 13 playgrounds located across three English counties – Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, and Kent – as well as two London boroughs. They tested soil, plant material, and swabbed common play equipment like slides and swings. The results were alarming: traces of glyphosate and its toxic breakdown product, known as AMPA, were found in eight of the 13 sites, equating to 61.5 per cent.
Significantly, none of the contaminated playgrounds were situated near farmland. This strongly indicates that the source of the pollution is the routine use of glyphosate by local councils for weed control in public spaces such as parks, pavements, and the playgrounds themselves. The chemical is often applied for purely cosmetic reasons to remove unwanted plants.
Serious Health Risks for Vulnerable Children
Nick Mole from PAN UK expressed profound concern, stating: 'It is deeply concerning to find a Highly Hazardous Pesticide like glyphosate present in the very places where our children play.' The warning is especially urgent because young children are more vulnerable to toxic chemicals. Their developing bodies and brains are less capable of processing such substances, and their tendency to put hands and objects in their mouths increases the risk of ingestion.
The health implications are severe. Glyphosate, the world's most widely used herbicide, is classified as 'probably carcinogenic to humans' by the World Health Organization. A 2023 study from UC Berkeley linked childhood exposure to glyphosate and AMPA with an elevated risk of developing serious diseases later in life, including liver cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions.
Professor Michael Antoniou, a specialist in Molecular Genetics and Toxicology at King's College London who contributed to the research, emphasised the danger. 'Our studies have shown that exposure to glyphosate herbicides is a significant risk factor for the development of a range of serious health conditions... including a wide range of cancers,' he said. He challenged regulatory assurances of safety, noting that a truly safe dose of glyphosate is currently unknown.
Council Use and the Path to a Pesticide-Free Future
Despite growing evidence of harm, the majority of UK local authorities continue to rely heavily on glyphosate. Official data shows that in 2024, councils reported using a staggering 354 tonnes of pesticides, with glyphosate-based products constituting 96 per cent of all active substances applied. This volume is roughly equivalent to the weight of 23 double-decker buses.
However, the study also points to a viable solution. The London Borough of Hackney, which went pesticide-free in its parks and green spaces in 2021, was the only location tested where no glyphosate or AMPA was detected. This success story demonstrates that alternative, non-chemical weed management is possible.
While approximately 45 per cent of councils are now taking steps to reduce or eliminate pesticide use, PAN UK is urging all local authorities to adopt its proven 'three-year phase-out plan'. The charity is calling for a nationwide effort to join the fifty UK councils that have already committed to going pesticide-free, thereby protecting children from unnecessary and dangerous exposure in their play areas.
