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Particles, chemicals or both? Assessing the drivers of the multidimensional toxicity of car tire rubber microplastic on early life stages of Atlantic cod
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This study separated the effects of tire rubber particles from the chemicals they release, testing both on developing Atlantic cod. The chemicals leached from tire rubber were the main driver of toxicity, reducing hatching success and increasing larval death, while the particles alone had minimal effect. This is significant because tire wear is one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution, and the findings suggest the chemicals they carry are more dangerous than the particles themselves.
Despite the growing number of ecotoxicity studies on microplastics, few have successfully distinguished between the effects of particles and leached chemicals on organisms. This study assessed the role of car tire rubber (CTR) as both a particle contaminant and a chemical carrier. Early life stages (ELS) of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were exposed to three CTR treatments tested at 1, 10, and 100 mg CTR L⁻¹ : (1) pre-leached CTR particles (CTR-PART), (2) chemicals leached from CTR (CTR-LEACH), and (3) CTR particles with both leached and unleached chemicals (CTR-BOTH). The chemical composition of both particles and leachates was analysed using GC-MS and pyrolysis GC-MS. Investigated endpoints included hatching success, mortality, developmental alterations, and gene expression. While low and medium exposure concentrations had minimal effects compared to control treatments, high CTR-LEACH and CTR-BOTH exposures significantly reduced hatching success and increased the larvae mortality, while CTR-PART did not have any effect. Developmental alterations occurred at high concentrations of all treatments, with severity ranked as CTR-BOTH > CTR-LEACH > CTR-PART. The expression of stress-related genes (mt, gst3a, cat, sod) followed the same pattern. These findings suggest that leached chemicals drive CTR toxicity in cod ELS, while physical particles enhancing their effects.
More Papers Like This
What are the toxic components of microplastics? Investigating the overlooked role of particles vs chemical leachates as microplastic toxicity drivers
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Researchers disentangled the toxicological roles of car tire rubber (CTR) particles versus their chemical leachates by exposing early life stages of Atlantic cod to pre-leached CTR particles, 7-day leachate, and pristine CTR, finding that leachate and pristine CTR significantly reduced hatching success and increased mortality while pre-leached particles had no significant effects.
Microplastics and tire wear particles in aquatic environment: A comparative review on generation, characteristics and environmental behavior
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Tiny bits of rubber worn off from car tires are actually one of the biggest sources of microplastic pollution in our water, yet they've gotten far less scientific attention than plastic microplastics from bottles and packaging. This review paper — which summarizes existing research rather than presenting new experiments — shows that tire particles behave differently, potentially leaching different chemicals and carrying pollutants in unique ways, meaning the safety testing methods designed for regular microplastics may not fully capture the risks tire particles pose to waterways and, ultimately, human health.
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.
Tire wear particles in different water environments: occurrence, behavior, and biological effects—a review and perspectives
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This review examines tire wear particles, a major but often overlooked source of microplastics in water environments. Tire particles release toxic chemicals as they break down in water and can harm aquatic organisms, but most research has focused only on the chemical leachate rather than the particles themselves. Since tire wear contributes a large share of total microplastic pollution, understanding its full impact on water ecosystems and the food chain is important for human health.
New insights into car tire rubber particle toxicity: chemical composition and ecotoxicity assessment of leachate on gamete quality of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis
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Researchers studied how tire rubber particles, a major source of microplastic pollution, affect the reproductive health of Mediterranean mussels. Chemical analysis of tire particle leachate revealed high levels of zinc and various organic compounds, and exposure caused significant damage to mussel egg and sperm quality. The findings suggest that the chemicals leaching from tire wear debris in coastal waters may threaten the reproductive success of marine organisms.
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