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Benzothiazole and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole impair reproduction by disrupting sperm function in Caenorhabditis elegans
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Researchers exposed C. elegans to tire-derived benzothiazole compounds at environmentally relevant concentrations and found disrupted sperm activation and migration in parent worms, elevated germline apoptosis, and measurable reproductive defects in unexposed F1 offspring — implicating tire leachates as multigenerational reproductive toxins.
Benzothiazoles (BTs), derived primarily from tire wear particles, are ubiquitous contaminants that pose significant environmental hazards and health risks. This study evaluated the effects of benzothiazole (BTH) and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) on reproductive toxicity by using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. Synchronized L1 larvae were exposed to BTH or MBT at 0, 0.1, 1, 10, and 50 μg/L for 60 h. Germline apoptosis, oogenesis, sperm activation, and sperm migration were tested in parental worms, and some reproductive endpoints were further examined in non-exposed F1 offspring. Our findings demonstrate that BTs at environmentally relevant concentrations induced germline apoptosis and inhibited oogenesis. Furthermore, in male worms, sperm activation and migration were significantly disrupted in parental worms, where increased failure rates of sperm activation were also observed in non-exposed F1 generation. Transcriptomic analysis showed substantial alterations in the expression of spermatogenesis-related genes, with enrichment of pathways involved in spermatid differentiation. Our findings show that BTs disrupt germ cell development and sperm function in C. elegans, with parental exposure linked to measurable reproductive defects in offspring, underscoring potential long-term environmental health risks of tire wear particles.
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Researchers investigated multi-generational carryover effects of tire wear particle leachate on rotifer (Brachionus calyciflorus) reproduction across seven consecutive generations, finding that past exposure impaired reproductive output in subsequent generations even after the toxicant was removed, suggesting cumulative population-level risks from tire-derived pollutants.
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Tiny water fleas exposed to chemicals leaching from tire wear particles across three generations showed impaired growth, delayed reproduction, and reduced offspring, even at concentrations found in the environment. These effects carried over to unexposed offspring, suggesting that tire-derived pollution can cause harm that passes from one generation to the next.
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Laboratory experiments showed that tire and road wear particles (TRWPs) impaired earthworm (Eisenia andrei) fitness—reducing reproduction and growth—and led to bioaccumulation of tire-related chemicals in worm tissues. The study provided evidence that TRWPs pose risks to soil invertebrates and the ecosystem functions they support.
Chemical toxicity screening of tire particle leachates from vehicles and their effects on organisms across three trophic levels
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Researchers prepared leachates from bicycle, car, and electric scooter tire particles and tested toxicity across three organisms, finding that zinc and benzothiazole were the primary toxic compounds and that tire particle leachates caused growth inhibition in plants, mortality in water fleas, and developmental abnormalities in zebrafish.
Toxicity and intergenerational accumulation effect of tire wear particles and their leachate on Brachionus plicatilis
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Researchers studied tire wear particles, a major source of microplastics in oceans, and found they harm tiny marine animals called rotifers across multiple generations. The toxic effects actually got worse over generations, with repeated exposure being more harmful than single-generation exposure. The zinc and chemical additives in tire particles were the main drivers of toxicity, raising concerns about the growing impact of tire-derived microplastics on marine food chains.
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