Pollution from tires

[KenU]

I just read an interesting article in the Los Angeles Times: Runoff from tires was killing Coho salmon in the West coast streams. A 20 year study published in the journal Science indicated that a preservative used on tires was washing off into streams and killing about half of the Coho salmon. Quote: "We were able to get all the way down to this one highly toxic chemical — something that kills large fish quickly and we think is probably found on every single busy road in the world." I wonder what its effect on humans is.

 

[HopBack]

I don't know anything about the toxicity but they make excellet catfish houses on the Juniata....

 

[Dave_W]

I saw this today too and it's an interesting story.

You can read it in the New York Times here.

The most interesting angle is the persistence of the scientific team that continued to drill down on this and finally identify the culprit. Such work is inspiring (and adds to much of the inspiring science happening in other critical realms these days).

It will be interesting to see where this line of research leads to. I'm a bit skeptical at this point as tires are all over (almost) every watershed in the country and the die offs of salmon in this particular WA creek seem like an isolated incident(?).

But yes, very interesting.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

What science can accomplish is boundless when given the chance and $$. GG

 

[timmyt2]

The article i read about it stated that it was specifically an issue in and around Seattle with the COHO salmon that migrate there. I assumed the toxicity was specific to those coho salmon

 

[nymphingmaniac]

From the article (i have a subscription)

"It is unlikely that coho salmon are uniquely sensitive, and the toxicology of 6PPD transformation products in other aquatic species should be assessed. For example, used tires were more toxic to rainbow trout (4-fold lower 96-hours LC50) relative to new tires (29), an observation consistent with adverse outcomes mediated by transformation products."

this passage addresses, but does not answer, the question if it is specific for coho salmon. Also not surprising, juveniles are most sensitive. Their previous research suggested a possible link between tire-generated run-off and urban stream syndrome mortality. I will add it is not trivial to narrow it down to a single compound like they did, so kudos to them. On the other hand, it is hard to say for certain tire run off causes this because they rely on retrospective analysis, but they have a very compelling argument. The next round of experiments will be very interesting and essential.

PS transformative products in this case mean that the original compound placed in the tires is not the direct cause. The toxic compound is formed when the original compound, which probably underwent toxicity tests, reacts with ozone (and other reactive oxygen species). It is very common that the actual harmful agent is a b product. This occurs in our bodies too. Many compounds become or increase their toxicity when the body tries to modify the compound to clear it.

 

[JeffK]

Thanks for the link.

Back in the late 70's some people I was working with were studying tire wear and what happened to it. Calculations showed that an enormous amount of rubber dust should be found along superhighways but very little actually was. In the end there were bacteria that ate the rubber and very quickly since the fine particles had a lot of surface area. Certainly could leave some toxic residue. Oil eating bacteria evolved around natural oil seeps and cars spread them all over.

Another informal study has shown that after a time nearly all improperly discarded tires end up in rivers/streams. Gravity eventually gets them to the lowest spot possible, which is a stream bed.

 

[lestrout]

Yo Ken - thanks for that bodacious article. We have indeed made the world an even more complex place. The science and persistence here is impressive, though the poisoning problem and others by implication are sobering, even depressing.

 

[KenU]

The Times article and the posts really add a lot of information to this situation. Just one more thing to think about when we are looking at what causes fish kills.

 

[larkmark]

How long does it take scientific discoveries to actually cause humans to make changes?

 

[Baron]

We need signage

 

[sgrim]

KenU wrote:
I wonder what its effect on humans is.

Reminds me of an article I read a couple years ago about studies being done on the tire crumbs that are commonly used to cushion artificial playing fields, and on playgrounds. There was some anecdotal concern about soccer goalies and other positions who are often face down in the stuff. And of course little kids are lower to the ground anyway.
No Surprise....ingesting or inhaling petrochemicals can be harmful to your health.

 

[Baron]

I still wonder the most about tire wear dust.