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Environmental toxicity of tire wear and latex particle leachates in zebrafish embryos: Oxidative stress and ferroptosis as key mechanisms
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Researchers compared the toxicity of chemical leachates from tire wear particles and latex particles on zebrafish embryos, finding that latex leachates were significantly more toxic. Latex particle leachates caused 100% mortality at the highest concentration versus 56% for tire wear, along with more severe developmental malformations. The study identified oxidative stress and ferroptosis (a form of iron-dependent cell death) as key mechanisms driving the toxic effects of these microrubber pollutants.
Microrubber, a subset of microplastics, has raised global concerns due to its persistence and ecological risks in aquatic systems. This study systematically compared the toxicity of leachates (0, 0.5, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 g/L) from tire wear particles (TWP) and latex particles (LAP) in zebrafish embryos for 5 days, integrating physiological endpoints, oxidative stress biomarkers, and transcriptomic profiling. LAP leachate exhibited significantly higher toxicity than TWP, causing increased mortality (100 % vs. 56.3 %), delayed hatching (0 % vs. 35.4 %), and severe malformations (e.g., tail and spine curvature). Chemical analyses identified elevated levels of heavy metals and biologically active organic compounds in LAP leachate, including higher zinc concentrations and benzothiazole derivatives, likely contributing to its greater toxicity. Oxidative stress markers revealed that LAP exposure induced a 1.46-fold increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) and suppressed glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity (31.6 % reduction), indicating impaired detoxification. Transcriptomics identified ferroptosis as a central putative toxicity pathway: LAP exposure was associated with dysregulated iron metabolism genes (mt2↑, fthl31↑, slc40a1↓), and an exacerbation of lipid peroxidation, whereas TWP exposure was linked to adaptive responses via cyp1a and gstt1b upregulation. Functional rescue experiments using ferrostatin-1 further supported the involvement of ferroptosis, showing consistent but non-significant trends of physiological mitigation. These findings highlight distinct mechanistic pathways: LAP exposure correlated with pathways consistent with iron dyshomeostasis-driven ferroptosis, while TWP exposure appeared to induce phase I/II detoxification, providing molecular insights into microrubber toxicity. The study underscores the urgent need for source-specific risk assessments and regulatory measures to mitigate microrubber pollution in aquatic ecosystems.
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Researchers tested the toxicity of micro- and nano-sized tire particles and their chemical leachates on zebrafish embryos and water fleas, two commonly used model organisms. They found that nano-sized tire particles were more toxic than micro-sized ones, and that the chemical leachate alone also caused significant developmental harm to zebrafish. The study demonstrates that tire debris poses a meaningful environmental risk to freshwater organisms through both direct particle exposure and the release of harmful chemicals.
Comparative Toxicity of Micro, Nano, and Leachate Fractions of Three Rubber Materials to Freshwater Species: Zebrafish and Daphnia.
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Researchers compared the toxicity of micro, nano, and leachate fractions of three rubber materials—including tire rubber—to freshwater organisms. Nano-fractions and leachates generally showed higher toxicity than larger rubber particles, with leached chemicals driving much of the observed biological harm.
Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis of Adult Zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) Liver Exposed to Tire Wear Particle (TWP) Leachates
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Zebrafish exposed to tire wear particle leachates at three concentrations over 28 days showed dose- and time-dependent increases in oxidative stress markers and liver cell apoptosis, confirming hepatotoxicity from tire-derived microplastic pollution.
Mechanistic insight into the adverse outcome of tire wear and road particle leachate exposure in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae
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Researchers studied how chemicals that leach from tire wear particles affect developing zebrafish, a common lab organism. The tire particle chemicals damaged eye development and impaired swimming behavior, even at concentrations found in the real environment. Since tire wear is one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution, these findings raise concerns about the ecological impact of road runoff on aquatic life.
Oxidative Stressand Apoptosis of Adult Zebrafish(Danio rerio) Liver Exposed to Tire Wear Particle(TWP) Leachates
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Zebrafish exposed to tire wear particle leachates at three concentrations over 28 days showed dose- and time-dependent increases in oxidative stress markers (SOD, MDA) and liver cell apoptosis, confirming significant hepatotoxic effects from tire-derived pollution.
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