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Environmentally relevant concentrations of tyre particles cause toxicity in estuarine invertebrates
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Researchers tested the toxicity of tire particles at environmentally relevant concentrations on estuarine species, finding that current environmental levels are sufficient to cause harm. The study identified the most sensitive species and life stages and highlighted tire particles as a priority microplastic source for regulatory attention.
Tyre particles, derived from abrasion between tyres and highways, constitute a major source of microplastics to the natural environment. These synthetic particles can enter transitional waters via a number of routes including aeolian deposition, highway run-off and riverine pathways. Within estuaries, salinity gradients and reduced hydrodynamic flow is predicted to result in tyre particle deposition. Recent methodological advances have facilitated measurements of tyre particles within environmental matrices, with concentrations ranging 0-30 g/kg in estuarine sediments. Tyres contain high concentrations of metals, PAHs, phthalates, antioxidants, benzothiazole and derivatives that may cause toxicity in exposed biota. Lugworms (Arenicola marina) and cockles (Cerastoderma edule) are native to temperate estuarine sediments, facilitating sediment turnover and oxygenation, and supporting biodiversity. Here, we exposed lugworms and cockles to tyre particle concentrations of 0-100 g/kg to test the hypothesis that these anthropogenic particles can cause adverse health effects at environmentally relevant concentrations. Individual lugworms and cockles (n=5 per treatment) were incubated in 1 kg of estuarine sediment containing chemically characterised tyre particles (0-500 µm) and 0.1 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/557794/document
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Environmentally relevant concentrations of tyre particles cause toxicity in estuarine invertebrates
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Researchers exposed estuarine organisms to environmentally relevant concentrations of tire particles and measured toxicity endpoints including survival, reproduction, and behavior. Tire particles caused significant adverse effects at concentrations already found in some urban estuaries, suggesting current environmental levels pose ecological risks.
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Researchers found that tyre wear particles in sediment affected the health of two estuarine invertebrates, with clams consuming 25 times more particles than ragworms and showing impacts on feeding, burial rates, and energy reserves at multiple concentrations.
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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.
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This review synthesizes what is known about the ecotoxicology of micronized tire rubber particles, which are increasingly identified as a significant fraction of environmental microplastics, examining their effects on aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The authors note that tire rubber contains a complex mixture of chemical additives that may drive toxicity beyond the physical effects of the particles themselves.
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