A ubiquitous tire rubber–derived chemical induces acute mortality in coho salmon
Abstract
Tire tread particles turn streams toxic: For coho salmon in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, returning to spawn in urban and suburban streams can be deadly. Regular acute mortality events are tied, in particular, to stormwater runoff, but the identity of the causative toxicant(s) has not been known. Starting from leachate from new and aged tire tread wear particles, Tian et al. followed toxic fractions through chromatography steps, eventually isolating a single molecule that could induce acute toxicity at threshold concentrations of ∼1 microgram per liter. The compound, called 6PPD-quinone, is an oxidation product of an additive intended to prevent damage to tire rubber from ozone. Measurements from road runoff and immediate receiving waters show concentrations of 6PPD-quinone high enough to account for the acute toxicity events. Science , this issue p. 185
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Tire rubber microparticles have been demonstrated to have harmful effects on fish.
“owing to the harmful effects that tire rubber microparticles have been demonstrated to have on fish.”
From Microplastics and Anthropogenic Particles in Recreationally Caught Freshwater Fish from an Urbanized Region of the North American Great Lakes (2024) · cites this paper as [73]
Chemicals from tire rubber have been demonstrated to be directly connected to the mortality of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch).
“chemicals from tire rubber have been demonstrated to be directly connected to the mortality of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch).73”
From Microplastics and Anthropogenic Particles in Recreationally Caught Freshwater Fish from an Urbanized Region of the North American Great Lakes (2024) · cites this paper as [73]
Laboratory studies have demonstrated microplastics can cause a variety of detrimental effects on fish, including negative effects on growth, changes in reproduction, and reduced survival.
“Laboratory studies have demonstrated microplastics can cause a variety of detrimental effects on fish, including negative effects on growth,74 changes in reproduction, and reduced survival.73”
From Microplastics and Anthropogenic Particles in Recreationally Caught Freshwater Fish from an Urbanized Region of the North American Great Lakes (2024) · cites this paper as [73]
6PPD-quinone is a transformation product of 6PPD that is acutely toxic to coho salmon.
“6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ; 2-anilino-5-[(4methylpentan-2-yl)amino]cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione), a transformation product of the rubber antiozonant 6PPD (N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N 0 -phenyl-p-phenylenediamine) that is acutely toxic to coho salmon, 14”
From Storms mobilize organophosphate esters, bisphenols, PFASs, and vehicle-derived contaminants to San Francisco Bay watersheds (2024) · cites this paper as [14]
Our measured concentrations of DPG and 6PPD-Q were lower relative to those previously measured directly from stormwater for 6PPD-Q (210-720 ng/L in Toronto, mean 593 ng/L in Saskatoon, and mean 7,000 ng/L in Seattle) and DPG (400-364,000 ng/L in Saskatoon and 1,800 ng/L in Seattle).
“thus, our measured concentrations of DPG and 6PPD-Q were lower relative to those previously measured directly from stormwater for 6PPD-Q (210–720 ng L−1 in Toronto,13 mean 593 ng L−1 in Saskatoon,64 and mean 7,000 ng L−1 in Seattle65) and DPG (400–364,000 ng L−1 in Saskatoon64 and 1,800 ng L−1 in Seattle66).”
Tire wear particles have been shown to result in mortality of adult coho salmon (>50%) due to the transformation of 6PPD quinone from tire-derived leachate.
“tire wear particles have been shown to result in the mortality of adult coho salmon ( > 50 %) due the transformation of the chemicals N -phenyl-N ′ -(1,3-dimethylbutyl)p - phenylenediamine (6PPD) quinone from tire-derived leachate (McIntyre et al., 2021; Tian et al., 2021).”
From Review of emerging contaminants in green stormwater infrastructure: antibiotic resistance genes, microplastics, tire wear particles, PFAS, and temperature (2024) · cites this paper as Tian et al., 2021
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- Authors
- Tian, Z., Zhao, H., Peter, K. T., Gonzalez, M., Wetzel, J., Wu, C., Hu, X., Prat, J., Mudrock, E., Hettinger, R., Cortina, A. E., Biswas, R. G., Kock, F. V. C., Soong, R., Jenne, A., Du, B., Hou, F., He, H., Lundeen, R., Gilbreath, A., Sutton, R., Scholz, N. L., Davis, J. W., Dodd, M. C., Simpson, A., McIntyre, J. K., & Kolodziej, E. P.
- Affiliations
- Center for Urban Waters (US)
- University of Washington (US)
- Washington State University (US)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada.
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA.
- San Francisco Estuary Institute (US)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US)
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kolodziej, Edward P.
- ORCID
- Tian, Zhenyu
- Zhao, Haoqi
- Peter, Katherine T.
- Gonzalez, Melissa
- Wetzel, Jill
- Hu, Ximin
- Prat, Jasmine
- Hettinger, Rachel
- Biswas, Rajshree Ghosh
- Kock, Flávio Vinicius Crizóstomo
- Soong, Ronald
- Jenne, Amy
- Du, Bowen
- Hou, Fan
- He, Huan
- Lundeen, Rachel
- Gilbreath, Alicia
- Sutton, Rebecca
- Scholz, Nathaniel L.
- Davis, Jay W.
- Dodd, Michael C.
- Simpson, Andre
- McIntyre, Jenifer K.
- Kolodziej, Edward P.
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2021-01-08
- Volume
- 371
- Issue
- 6525
- Pages
- 185-189
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W3108318864
- Cited by
- 1,604
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 400 · 2025: 414 · 2024: 321 · 2023: 218 · 2022: 159 · 2021: 90 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 47.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (1608464, 1803240)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (01J18101, #DW-014-92437301)
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (ALLRP 549399, RGPIN-2019-04165)
- Washington State Governors Funds
- São Paulo Research Foundation (2018/16040-5, 2019/14770-9)
- Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in SF Bay
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Keywords
- 6PPD-quinone, coho salmon, acute toxicity, stormwater runoff, urban rivers, leachate, aquatic toxicology, fish mortality
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Antioxidants, Environmental Exposure, Phenylenediamines, Rubber, Northwestern United States, Benzoquinones, Oncorhynchus kisutch
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