Tire wear toxins have been making headlines mores often. Here’s where you can find links to some of the most recent news stories, scientific articles, and different media sources mentioning tire wear toxins.
States Target Toxic Tire Compound
Article Source: Chemical and Engineering News
Article Date: August 29, 2024
In California, a consortium of tire manufacturers is trying to find an alternative to 6PPD that doesn’t have the same effects. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control has given the US Tire Manufacturer Association’s 6PPD Alternatives Analysis Consortium the green light to go ahead with research into seven possible alternatives to 6PPD. Read more
Washington Sets State Limits on Toxic Chemicals in Water Ways to Protect Aquatic Life
Article Source: Apple Valley News
Article Date: August 17, 2024
According to the DOE, Washington is the first state nationwide to set a numeric, freshwater limit for 6PPD-Quinone, a chemical that comes from vehicle tears breaking down. Research has shown this chemical is highly toxic to some salmon and trout including coho salmon and steelhead. Read more
Our Tires Shed Toxins that Kill Fish. Here’s a Partial Fix
Article Source: Canada National Observers
Article Date: August 13, 2024
Scientists at the University of British Columbia are experimenting with ways to keep chemicals shed by vehicle tires from entering waterways and causing widespread coho salmon deaths. The most concerning of these chemicals is 6PPD. Read more
Toxic Chemical Killing Salmon and Potentially Impacting Human Health
Article Source: Non-Stop Local KHQ
Article Date: August 3, 2024
University of Washington-Tacoma and Washington State University researchers spent three years working to identify 6PPD-Q which was contaminating migrating salmon. According to Lassiter, the toxic chemical can kill coho salmon within hours of exposure. Read more
Toxic Tire Chemicals are Killing Salmon. What can be Done About it?
Article Source: The Discourse
Article Date: August 1, 2024
After noticing the correlation between stormwater run-off and the dramatic deaths of coho salmon, researchers scored a major win when they discovered the toxic chemical responsible — 6PPD-Quinone, or 6PPD-Q. Read more
Jeff Merkley Leads Senate Environment Committee Hearing On Chemical 6PPD
Video Source: Youtube
Article Date: July 31, 2024
The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing on chemical 6PPD. Watch Video
Study Seeks to Discover Extent of Coho-Killing Chemical’s Effect
Article Source: Washington State University
Article Date: July 2, 2024
Coho in streams near Seattle have been dying mysteriously for years before researchers figured out why. First, they identified that it was something in stormwater, which typically runs off surfaces into streams without being treated. Then in 2020, McIntyre and her colleagues found it was the previously undiscovered chemical, 6PPD-quinone, a product of 6PPD in tires reacting with ozone in the atmosphere. Read more
EPA Releases Information that States and Tribes Can Use to Protect Local Fish from Toxic Tire Chemicals
Article Source: US EPA
Article Date: June 10, 2024
WASHINGTON – Today, June 10, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published water quality screening values under the Clean Water Act related to short-term concentrations of 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-q). These chemicals have been found in freshwater ecosystems and linked to runoff from automotive tire dust and debris. Read more
Irrigation with treated wastewater and sewage sludge introduces tire additives into leafy vegetables, study finds
Article Source: https://phys.org/
Article Date: June 5, 2024
The presence of drug residues in commercially sold fruit and vegetables has already been scientifically investigated many times. However, chemical substances from tire wear, so-called additives, also find their way into the food chain. Read more
Tire Toxicity Faces Fresh Scrutiny After Salmon Die-Offs
Article Source: Kaiser Health News
Article Date: May 10, 2024
For decades, concerns about automobile pollution have focused on what comes out of the tailpipe. Now, researchers and regulators say, we need to pay more attention to toxic emissions from tires as vehicles roll down the road. Read more
Feds to investigate tire chemical implicated in mass salmon deaths, but urgent action needed, environmental groups react
Article Source: Ecojustice
Article Date: May 7, 2024
VANCOUVER/UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (MUSQUEAM), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (SQUAMISH) AND səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH) TERRITORIES – Environmental groups are encouraged by the federal government’s decision to grant their request to prioritize the tire chemical 6PPD for assessment, an important first step towards regulating this toxic chemical. Read more
The Overlooked Environmental Challenge Posed by EV Tire Wear
Article Source: TireReviewsandMore
Article Date: May 6, 2024
As the automotive world transitions towards electric vehicles (EVs), a new environmental concern emerges, highlighted by Grist: tire pollution. Despite the reduction in tailpipe emissions, EVs contribute to a substantial but often overlooked issue. Annually, cars shed nearly nine pounds of tire material each, cumulatively amounting to six million metric tons globally. This form of pollution is especially significant in regions with higher rates of personal car use. Read more
Indoor climbing wall users may be breathing in toxic rubber dust
Article Source: NewScientist
Article Date: May 3, 2024
Climbers and workers at indoor climbing walls may be breathing in large doses of potentially toxic rubber additives, according to a study reporting that the air and dust in climbing centres contain high levels of rubber particles from the soles of climbing shoes. Read more
Tire toxins deadly for salmon found in Vancouver Island creeks
Article Source: Nanaimo Bulletin
Article Date: April 30, 2024
One might think rainfall would be a blessing for the salmon population, but over the past number of years it’s become deadly with road runoff draining toxic chemicals into the water. 6PPD-quinone is a chemical used to prevent tires from breaking down – it’s also fatal for coho salmon following exposures lasting only hours according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Read more
Tire toxicity faces fresh scrutiny after salmon die-offs
Article Source: CBS News
Article Date: April 23, 2024
For decades, concerns about automobile pollution have focused on what comes out of the tailpipe. Now, researchers and regulators say, we need to pay more attention to toxic emissions from tires as vehicles roll down the road. At the top of the list of worries is a chemical called 6PPD, which is added to rubber tires to help them last longer. When tires wear on pavement, 6PPD is released. It reacts with ozone to become a different chemical, 6PPD-q, which can be extremely toxic — so much so that it has been linked to repeated fish kills in Washington state. Read more
Largest Global Tire Industry Consortium Releases Preliminary 6PPD Alternatives Analysis Report
Article Source: U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association
Article Date: March 29, 2024
A global consortium of 30 tire manufacturers, mobilized by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (“USTMA”), and representing the world’s largest tire companies, has released a Stage 1 Alternatives Analysis (“AA”) report for 6PPD in tires in accordance with California’s Safer Consumer Product Regulations (“SCPR”). Read more
Legislation by California Assembly Member Diane Papan to Safeguard Salmon and Steelhead Trout from Lethal Storm Water Contaminant Approved by Committee
Article Source: Sierra Sun Times
Article Date: March 23, 2024
On Tuesday, legislation to protect California’s iconic salmon and steelhead trout authored by Assembly member Diane Papan (D-San Mateo) was approved by the Assembly Committee on Transportation with a bipartisan vote. The S.A.L.M.O.N Act (Stormwater Anti-Lethal Measures for Our Natives Act), would mandate the development and implementation of a regional strategy by the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to eliminate 6PPD from stormwater discharges into specified salmon and steelhead trout-bearing surface waters of the state. Read more
VIU researchers investigating origins of toxic tire chemical that can kill salmon
Article Source: Chek News
Article Date: March 20, 2024
A study being done at VIU in Nanaimo hopes to shed more light on what effect toxins from vehicle tires are having on salmon in our rivers. Dean Stoltz has more. Watch here
Catching a killer: Environmental sleuths solve the mystery of dead coho in Courtenay’s Piercy Creek
Article Source: The Discourse
Article Date: March 20, 2024
On May 27, 2021 volunteers with the Millard Piercy Watershed Stewards came upon a startling scene: 65 dead juvenile coho salmon inside a collection box used to temporarily stall and count the fish on their journey to the ocean. Read more
Debate Heats Up as Tire Companies Argue Over Responsibility for Aquatic Pollution
Article Source: https://theubj.com/
Article Date: March 13, 2024
A group of prominent tire manufacturers are currently facing legal action regarding their contribution to environmental damage, specifically for using a chemical in their tire production process that is toxic to fish populations. The defendants in the lawsuit — which include Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone, and 10 other firms — are attempting to have the case dismissed, claiming they cannot be held responsible for pollution that transpires years after the release of their products into the market. Read more
Permeable pavements could protect fish by trapping car tire chemicals
Article Source: https://www.cheminst.ca
Article Date: March 2024
Permeable pavements show promise for adsorbing car tire particles and their associated chemicals, and could be more widely used to keep these contaminants from harming coho salmon. Read more
VIU research lab at the centre of a large-scale project to detect toxic chemical in Vancouver Island streams
Article Source: https://news.viu.ca/
Article Date: March 12, 2024
As rain and atmospheric rivers fall on Vancouver Island the seasonal weather also brings the possibility of a toxic chemical entering urban streams from nearby roadways. Vehicle tires release a chemical known as 6PPD-quinone that is acutely toxic to salmon at extremely low levels. This chemical can flow into storm drains and urban streams when it rains. Researchers at Vancouver Island University (VIU), in collaboration with the BC Conservation Foundation (BCCF), are studying the issue. Read more
Salomon bill to protect salmon from toxic chemical passes House, Senate
Article Source: https://senatedemocrats.wa.gov/
Article Date: March 1, 2024
OLYMPIA – Legislation to protect salmon populations from a toxic chemical passed the House Thursday. Senate Bill 5931 would designate all 6PPD containing motor vehicle tires a priority consumer product under the Safer Products for Washington Act, empowering the state Department of Ecology to do a review of tires containing the chemical and develop regulatory action. Read more
Washington State Department of Ecology proposes new and updated limits for toxics in water
Article Source: https://www.khq.com/
Article Date: February 15, 2024
OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Ecology is proposing an update of the criteria of toxics allowed in the state’s waters, also known as the aquatic life toxics criteria. Read more
Groups urge federal government to investigate tire chemical implicated in mass salmon deaths
Article Source: https://ecojustice.ca/
Article Date: February 6, 2024
Ecojustice, on behalf of Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Watershed Watch Salmon Society, and Pacific Salmon Foundation, has formally requested the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, prioritize 6PPD for investigation, in light of emerging research linking the chemical commonly used in tires to mass die-offs of coho salmon. Read more
Microplastic Pollution From Tires Found in Air Near Roadways
Article Source: https://www.thelocalvoice.net/
Article Date: January 29, 2024
Two University of Mississippi researchers have been investigating what happens when the rubber meets the road, and their results have led to a published paper. James Cizdziel, professor and interim chair of chemistry and biochemistry, and Boluwatife Olubusoye, a second-year doctoral chemistry student from Lagos, Nigeria, studied the increase and possible effects of the microscopic particles shed by tires near major roadways. Read more
Permeable pavements could reduce coho-killing tire pollutants
Article Source: https://news.wsu.edu/
Article Date: January 25, 2024
PUYALLUP, Wash. — The pore-like structure of permeable pavements may help protect coho salmon by preventing tire wear particles and related contaminants from entering stormwater runoff, according to a Washington State University study. Read more
Testers find tire toxin lethal to salmon in coho-bearing Saanich stream
Article Source: https://www.oakbaynews.com
Article Date: January 19, 2024
Waterway stewards hope the discovery of lethal levels of tire toxins in a salmon-bearing stream in Saanich will spur residents to get involved in both bio filtration and policy-making. As part of routine testing, volunteers with Peninsula Streams Society found 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q) in Gabo Creek, a salmon-bearing tributary of the Colquitz River Watershed. Read more
Toxin linked to tire wear found in water samples from Colquitz tributary
Article Source: https://www.timescolonist.com
Article Date: January 17, 2024
The Peninsula Streams Society says “lethal levels” of a toxin linked to tires have been found in a local waterway. Known as 6PPD-Quinone or 6PPD-Q, the substance was detected in water samples taken by volunteers in Gabo Creek, a salmon-bearing tributary of the Colquitz River, the society said. Read more
Scientists worldwide are immersed in studies of a deadly tire chemical
Article Source: https://www.eopugetsound.org/
Article Date: January 9, 2024
A tire-related chemical found to kill coho salmon and other fish has come under intense worldwide investigation ever since Puget Sound researchers isolated the singular compound three years ago from among thousands of pollutants residing in stormwater. Read more
Salomon introduces bill to protect salmon from toxic chemical
Article Source: https://myedmondsnews.com
Article Date: January 9, 2024
Sen. Jesse Salomon, a 32nd District Democrat, has introduced legislation to protect salmon populations from a toxic chemical found in car tires. Senate Bill 5931 would expedite Department of Ecology review and regulation of the toxic chemical 6ppd-quinone. Ecology would determine initial regulatory actions by June 2025 and adopt rules to implement those regulations by June 2026. Read more
UBC-led initiative protects salmon against toxic road runoffs
Article Source: https://news.ubc.ca/
Article Date: December 14, 2023
The roads, bridges and highways that crisscross B.C. take us where we want to go. Unfortunately, they also help leak a toxic chemical shed by car tires—6PPD-quinone—into B.C.’s waterways, posing a serious threat to salmon habitats. A collaborative project led by UBC and its partners is working to identify and mitigate these toxic hot spots. Read more
‘Toxic’: Greater Victoria water stewards tackle tire toxins in Bowker Creek
Article Source: https://www.oakbaynews.com/
Article Date: November 29, 2023
When heavy rains hit Greater Victoria, a handful of volunteers scurry out of their homes during various stages of the storm to gather water samples from Bowker Creek. Read more
Volunteers to Monitor Campbell River’s Creeks for Toxins from Roadways
Article Source: https://www.campbellrivermirror.com/
Article Date: November 28, 2023
Volunteers are helping monitor Campbell River waterways for toxins. Haley Tomlin, a BC Conservation Foundation (BCCF) Fisheries Biologist, met with six Campbell River volunteers at Simms Creek on Thursday, Nov. 23 to train them to participate in a 6-PPDQ monitoring program. Read more
Fishing groups sue tire-makers over toxic chemical that kills salmon
Article Source: https://www.gloucestertimes.com/
Article Data: November 23, 2023
West Coast fishing groups filed a federal lawsuit earlier this month against 13 of the largest tire manufacturers in the U.S., alleging the companies are illegally killing or harming endangered salmon and oceangoing trout by the use of toxic chemicals in their products. Read more
Electron Hydro to pay $1 million Clean Water Act penalty for 2020 artificial turf, tire crumb discharge into Puyallup River
Article Source: https://www.epa.gov/
Article Date: November 21, 2023
SEATTLE (November 21, 2023) — The U.S Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Electron Hydro, LLC, and its Chief Operating Officer, Thom Fischer, have agreed to pay a $1,025,000 civil penalty for major violations of the Clean Water Act stemming from the illegal installation of thousands of yards of artificial turf at a construction project at the Electron dam and the subsequent release of hundreds of yards of the turf and the crumb rubber it contained into the Puyallup River in the summer of 2020. Read more
Tires are saving us — and killing us, too
Article Source: https://www.theverge.com/
Article Date: November 17, 2023
According to researchers at Imperial College London, our cars and trucks emit 6 million tons of tire wear particles every year, transportation detritus that goes into the air, the land, and the water. That’s a massive figure that ignores the nearly 250 million tires that are disposed of annually in North America, roughly half of which are burned. Read more
Stream watchers fear chemical found in tires killed salmon in West Vancouver creek
Article Source: https://www.cbc.ca/
Article Date: November 11, 2023
Stream watchers in Metro Vancouver say they were shocked to find more than 40 dead coho salmon along the banks of a creek on the North Shore. The West Vancouver Streamkeeper Society said there are concerns the dead fish found near Brothers Creek were caused by urban runoff, specifically a compound found in tires. Read more
US moves to regulate tyre chemical that was found to have killed salmon
Article Source: https://www.chemistryworld.com/
Article Date: November 9, 2023
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun the process of regulating 6PPD, a common chemical found in car tyres that was responsible for the mysterious death of salmon in the American Northwest in 2020. In response to a petition by three Native American tribes, the agency plans to finalize the rule by the end of 2024, and it will require manufacturers and importers of 6PPD to provide copies of unpublished health and safety studies to the EPA, among other things. Read more
Commercial fishing groups sue 13 US tire makers over rubber preservative that’s deadly to salmon
Article Source: https://apnews.com/
Date of Article: November 8, 2023
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — The 13 largest U.S. tire manufacturers are facing a lawsuit from a pair of California commercial fishing organizations that could force the companies to stop using a chemical added to almost every tire because it kills migrating salmon. Read more
Saving salmon and gas money — ‘Don’t Wait to Inflate’ encourages regular tire maintenance
Article Source: https://nwasianweekly.com/
Article Date: September 29, 2023
A new initiative, “Don’t Wait to Inflate,” is encouraging drivers to take a simple yet impactful step toward safer roads and cleaner waterways, by checking their tire pressure monthly and adding air if needed. Read more
Tire Dust Makes Up the Majority of Ocean Microplastics, Study Finds
Article Source: https://www.thedrive.com/
Date of Article: September 28, 2023
When contemplating the emissions from road vehicles, our first thought is often about the various gases coming out of the tailpipe. However, new research shows that we should be more concerned with the harmful particles that are shed from tires and brakes. Read more
Rubber plumbing seals can leak additives into drinking water, study says
Article Source: https://phys.org/
Date of Article: September 6, 2023
As drinking water flows through pipes and into a glass, it runs against the rubber seals inside some plumbing devices. These parts contain additives that contribute to their flexibility and durability, but these potentially harmful compounds can leak into drinking water, according to a small-scale study in Environmental Science & Technology Letters. The authors report that the released compounds, which are typically linked to tire pollution, also transformed into other unwanted byproducts. Read more
California Requires Tiremakers to Look for Safer Alternatives to Chemical that Kills Coho Salmon
Article Source: https://dtsc.ca.gov/
Article Date: July 26, 2023
SACRAMENTO – To protect California’s environment and public health, the state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has adopted a rule that requires manufacturers of motor vehicle tires for sale in California to evaluate safer alternatives to 6PPD, a chemical that helps reduce tire cracking and extends the useful life of tires. Read more
Aquatic Research and Restoration Centre
#105 – 1885 Boxwood Road, Nanaimo, BC V9S 5X9
Tire Wear Toxin Project Manager Contact
Phone: 250-390-2525 ext. 106
Email: htomlin@bccf.com
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We gratefully acknowledge that the Aquatic Research and Restoration Centre is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. We also recognize that project activities are occurring across the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of Coast Salish, Kwakwaka’wakw, and Nuu-Chah-Nulth Peoples.
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