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Impact of Tire Wear Leachates on Phytoplankton Communities
Summary
Tire wear particles leaching into seawater were shown to harm phytoplankton communities at environmentally relevant concentrations, affecting both growth and photosynthesis. Tires contribute an estimated half million tonnes of microplastics to marine environments each year, making tire wear a significant and growing source of ocean pollution. These findings raise concerns about the ecological impacts of road runoff on marine primary producers that form the base of ocean food webs.
Half a million tonnes of microplastics derived from car tires is estimated to reach marine environments every year. Microparticles generated by abrasion of tires, tire wear particles (TWP), are major contributors to microplastic pollution in the marine ecosystems. The composition of TWP consists of a mixture of the main polymer (rubber) and a variety of chemical additives both organic and inorganic. Some of these additives can easily leach from the main polymer into marine environments. Currently, there are few studies about the effects of tire particle leachates on marine phytoplankton; while toxic effects have been observed in monocultures, the consequences of TWP pollution on marine planktonic communities remain unknown. The aim of this study is to evaluate the acute effects of car tire leachates on the coastal phytoplankton communities of Gran Canaria. For this purpose, leachates of micronized car tires ( Also see: https://micro2022.sciencesconf.org/427358/document