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Effects of tire particles on earthworm (Eisenia andrei) fitness and bioaccumulation of tire-related chemicals.
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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.
Tire and Road Wear Particles (TRWP) are produced during the wear of tire rubber on the road pavement and contain various chemicals originating from the road environment and from the rubber. Toxic effects of TRWP and their associated chemicals on soil organisms remain poorly characterized. In a series of laboratory experiments, this study investigated the bioaccumulation kinetics of several common tire-related chemicals in the earthworm species Eisenia andrei using Cryogenically Milled Tire Tread (CMTT), as a surrogate for environmental TRWP. Effects on survival, growth, reproductive output and behaviour were determined. Average biota-soil accumulation factors ranged from 0.8 to 4.7 indicating low to moderate bioaccumulation of the tire-related chemicals. Toxicokinetics showed both high uptake (0.0-13.2 days) and elimination rates (0.0-6.3 days) in E.andrei. Still, the uptake of tire-related chemicals in earthworms' tissues and ingestion of tire particles could lead to trophic transfer to preys feeding on earthworms and requires further investigated. No significant effects on survival and growth were recorded after exposure to 0.05 and 5% CMTT. In the reproduction test, a slight increase of the reproductive output with increasing CMTT concentration and a slight decrease of the weight of the juveniles were observed. Moreover, a strong and significant avoidance behaviour was observed for worms exposed to 5% CMTT. This work highlights that soil highly contaminated with tire particles can negatively impact habitat function due to changes in texture and/or chemical stressors, lead to uptake of tire-related additives by earthworms and that high concentrations can impact organism's fitness.
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Researchers exposed earthworms to microplastics from ground-up car tires at various concentrations and sizes over 14 and 28 days. They found that the worms preferentially consumed smaller particles, which led to increased heavy metal accumulation and significant signs of oxidative stress at higher concentrations. The study highlights that tire-derived microplastics in soil can harm terrestrial organisms through both physical ingestion and the release of associated toxic metals.
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Scientists exposed earthworms to tiny bits of tire debris and plastic fibers, the kind that wash off roads and synthetic clothing into soil, and found these pollutants stunted the worms' growth and caused cellular stress, especially when combined. Since earthworms are essential for healthy soil that grows our food, this research is an early warning sign that these common pollutants could be quietly disrupting the ecosystems we depend on, even though the direct impact on humans isn't yet fully understood.
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Researchers exposed three species of soil invertebrates to ground-up tire particles and found that at concentrations similar to those found near roadsides, the particles reduced reproduction and survival in springtails and suppressed enzyme activity in woodlice. The tire particles contained high levels of zinc and various organic pollutants. The study suggests that tire wear microplastics, one of the largest sources of environmental microplastic, can have measurable harmful effects on soil-dwelling organisms.
The Potential Concentration-Dependent Effects of Tire Microplastics on the Earthworm Eisenia fetida
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Researchers exposing earthworms (Eisenia fetida) to tire-derived microplastics at four concentrations found significant increases in antioxidant enzyme activity — including catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase — indicating oxidative stress and immune system activation at environmentally relevant exposure levels.
Tire Wear Particles Drive a Systemic Bioenergetic Collapse in Eisenia fetida via Coupled Barrier Erosion and Metabolic-Immune Dysregulation
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As electric vehicles grow heavier, their tires shed more worn rubber particles into soil, and new research shows these particles can seriously harm earthworms, damaging their gut lining and skin, disrupting digestion, and overworking their immune systems to the point that many worms lose weight and die. This matters because earthworms are essential for healthy soil that grows our food, so widespread tire pollution could quietly undermine the ecosystems we depend on, a reminder that "cleaner" cars still carry hidden environmental costs.
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