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Tire Wear Particles as a Source of Organic Contaminants in the Agroenvironment: Release of Tire Wear-Derived Compounds and their Plant Uptake
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Tiny bits of worn-off tire rubber in soil release chemicals that food crops like lettuce and alfalfa can absorb through their roots and store in their leaves. One chemical in particular, called DPG, built up at especially high levels in lettuce, and since tire particles keep breaking down slowly over time, they may act as a long-term, ongoing source of this chemical entering our food. While researchers are still studying what these tire chemicals do to human health, this study shows a clear pathway from road dust to the food on our plates.
Tire wear particles (TWPs) are introduced into agricultural soils, raising concern about the release of tire wear-derived compounds (TWCs) to the environment and their uptake by plants. This study examined the release of six TWCs from TWPs and their subsequent uptake by alfalfa and lettuce plants grown in soil containing 0.1 and 1% TWPs. The release of TWCs followed a two-stage kinetic pattern; an initial fast release of surface-bound compounds followed by a prolonged, diffusion-controlled release of compounds entrapped within the rubber matrix. 1,3-Diphenylguanidine (DPG) and 2-aminobenzothiazole (A-BTZ) exhibited the highest concentrations (113 and 10 ng/g, respectively) in the alfalfa shoots. However, their concentrations declined with each of the five successive harvests. Hexamethoxymethyl melamine (HMMM) and N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine-quinone (6PPD-quinone) were detected only in the first harvest of alfalfa shoots, while benzothiazole (BTZ) and N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) were not detected. Transformation products (TPs) of the studied TWCs were detected in the alfalfa shoots, suggesting either uptake and translocation of the parent compounds followed by in-plant metabolism, and/or direct uptake of the TPs from the soil solution. Similar to alfalfa, in lettuce leaves, DPG exhibited the highest concentration (395 ng/g), followed by 6PPD (4.1 ng/g), 6PPD-quinone (0.9 ng/g), HMMM (0.6 ng/g), and A-BTZ (0.4 ng/g). BTZ was also not detected. A comparison of our data for lettuce with literature data indicated that TWCs introduced via TWPs exhibit reduced bioavailability compared to those introduced with irrigation water, except for DPG, which exhibited elevated concentrations when introduced via TWPs. This suggests that TWPs are acting as a long-term source for bioavailable DPG.
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Uptake of tire-derived compounds in lettuce under realistic growing conditions
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Researchers grew lettuce under realistic agricultural conditions and measured uptake of tire-derived compounds including 6PPD-quinone and benzothiazole, finding detectable concentrations in plant tissues and raising food safety concerns about tire wear particle contamination in agricultural soils.
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This study exposed lettuce plants to tire wear particle-derived chemicals — including 6PPD and its toxic transformation product 6PPD-q — in hydroponic solution and found that plants took up and partly metabolized these compounds. The results raise food safety concerns about tire-derived chemical contamination of vegetables grown with runoff-influenced irrigation water.
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Scientists measured tire-derived chemicals in commercial leafy vegetables from four countries and found six different tire compounds present, including some linked to toxicity in aquatic life. Tire particles are one of the most common types of microplastic in the environment, and their chemical additives can be taken up by food crops through contaminated soil and water. While the estimated daily intake from vegetables alone was relatively low, this study confirms that tire-related microplastic pollution is entering the human food supply.
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Researchers measured tire-derived chemical compounds in commercial leafy vegetables from four countries and detected at least one compound in 71 percent of samples tested. Benzothiazole and its breakdown product were found at the highest concentrations, while compounds like 6PPD were present at lower levels. The findings indicate that people may be exposed to tire-related chemicals through everyday vegetable consumption, though the estimated daily intake levels were generally low.
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