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Divergent impacts of leached versus pristine tire wear particles on zebrafish: From physiological stress to gut microbiota dysbiosis
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Researchers exposed zebrafish to tire wear particles that had been leached with water or methanol to remove chemical extractables, finding that leaching shifts the primary hazard from acute chemical toxicity toward chronic tissue damage and gut microbiome dysbiosis — with methanol-leached particles causing the most severe injury and collapsing gut microbial diversity by over 60%.
Extensive research has been conducted on the leaching behavior and risks of the leachate of tire wear particles (TWPs) in aquatic environments. However, whether the toxicity of TWPs is altered following the leaching process remains largely unexplored. This study systematically examined the ingestion, bioaccumulation, histopathological damage, oxidative stress, gene expression, and intestinal microbial responses in zebrafish exposed to TWPs pretreated by ultrapure water or methanol leaching. A clear toxicity gradient was identified: original TWPs (TWP-Ori) caused mild damage, water-leached TWPs (TWP-UP-60) caused moderate damage, and methanol-leached TWPs (TWP-Me-60) induced the most severe and persistent tissue injury in the gill, gut, and liver. TWP-Ori was rapidly ingested and caused acute chemical toxicity, including hepatic oxidative stress, inflammation, and marked upregulation of metal detoxification genes. In comparison, TWP-UP-60 and TWP-Me-60 showed reduced palatability and altered bioaccumulation, with sporadic ingestion and rapid elimination, respectively. All leached particles severely disrupted the gut ecosystem, sharply reducing microbial diversity (Shannon index from 5.49 to 2.20) and shifting community structure. TWP-Ori enriched anaerobic stress-tolerant Bacillota, whereas leached TWPs led to overwhelming dominance of Pseudomonadota (77.1–91.5%). These results demonstrate that leaching shifts the primary hazard of TWPs from acute chemical toxicity to persistent chronic disturbance, characterized by tissue damage, oxidative stress, and gut microbial dysbiosis.
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Size-dependent ecotoxicological impacts of tire wear particles on zebrafish physiology and gut microbiota: Implications for aquatic ecosystem health
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Researchers found that tire wear particles, a major but often overlooked source of microplastic pollution, affect zebrafish health differently depending on particle size. Smaller particles caused more severe gut microbiome disruption, oxidative stress, and immune responses, suggesting that tire-derived microplastics in waterways may pose a greater health risk to aquatic life than previously recognized.
Tire wear particle leachate-induced hepatotoxicity in Carassius auratus: Associations with gut microbiota dysbiosis and lipid metabolism disorder
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Chemicals leaching from tire wear particles (tiny bits of rubber that wash off roads into waterways) caused liver damage, gut bacteria imbalances, and disrupted fat metabolism in fish exposed to environmentally realistic levels over 28 days. While this study was done in fish, not humans, it's a warning sign worth watching, tire particles are a widespread and growing pollutant in our water systems, and this research suggests they could harm the health of aquatic life we may eventually eat or interact with, making it worth understanding how these hidden pollutants move through the environment.
Cocktail effects of tire wear particles leachates on diverse biological models: A multilevel analysis
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Tire wear particles, a major but underappreciated source of microplastic pollution, leached chemicals into seawater that inhibited algae growth, caused developmental problems in zebrafish embryos, and showed hormone-disrupting effects in cell tests. The study found that water-soluble organic compounds from tires -- not just heavy metals like zinc -- were the primary drivers of toxicity, underscoring the need for better regulation of tire additives.
Size- and duration-dependent toxicity of heavy vehicle tire wear particles in zebrafish
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Researchers exposed zebrafish to heavy vehicle tire wear particles of two sizes over 15 and 90 days, finding that smaller particles triggered broader systemic stress and gut microbiota dysbiosis while larger particles caused more localized damage, and that both sizes produced transgenerational effects including impaired offspring growth and disrupted growth hormone signaling.
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