A Deep Dive into the Complex Chemical Mixture and Toxicity of Tire Wear Particle Leachate in Fathead Minnow

Tire wear particles end up on roads where they may run off into nearby rivers and lakes by rain and snowmelt. This study examined how toxic these tire particles are to eggs and the newly hatched larvae of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Tire particles were finely ground up and were immersed in water for 1, 3, and 10 days. Fathead minnows were then exposed to both filtered (tire particles removed) and unfiltered (tire particles left in) water to test whether the number of days of leaching, as well as the presence, or non-presence, of tire particles in the water had any effect in toxicity to the fathead minnows.

We observed more toxic effects (deformities, diminished pigmentation, etc.) in hatched minnows that were exposed to a longer leaching time (10-day), as well as to the unfiltered leachates. Our study provides insight into the types of chemicals likely significant in tire leachates and improves our understanding of the ecotoxicological impacts of tire wear particles.

All data are a part subject of a publication containing method details, full QA/QC, interpretation and conclusions: Chibwe, L., Parrott, J. L., Shires, K., Khan, H., Clarence, S., Lavalle, C., Sullivan, C., O'Brien, A. M., De Silva, A. O., Muir, D. C. G., & Rochman, C. M. (2022). A Deep Dive into the Complex Chemical Mixture and Toxicity of Tire Wear Particle Leachate in Fathead Minnow. Environmental toxicology and chemistry, 41(5), 1144–1153. doi.org/10.1002/etc.5140