Tire Wear Particles and 6PPD-Quinone (Coho Salmon Lethal Toxicity, Urban Stormwater Runoff, Microplastic Source, 1.8M Tons/Year US) — household safety profile
High riskTire wear is the single largest source of microplastic pollution in many urban environments, with the United States generating approximately 1.8 million metric tons of tire wear particles annually (Kole et al., 2017 estimated tires contribute 28% of primary microplastic inputs to the global ocean).
What is this product?
Tire wear is the single largest source of microplastic pollution in many urban environments, with the United States generating approximately 1.8 million metric tons of tire wear particles annually (Kole et al., 2017 estimated tires contribute 28% of primary microplastic inputs to the global ocean). A landmark 2020 paper in Science (Tian et al.) identified 6PPD-quinone — a transformation product of the ubiquitous tire antioxidant 6PPD (N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine) — as acutely lethal to coho salmon at concentrations as low as 0.8 ug/L. 6PPD is added to virtually all commercial tires at 0.5-2% by weight to prevent ozone-induced cracking, and it transforms to 6PPD-quinone upon contact with ozone and UV light during normal tire wear. Stormwater runoff from roads carries 6PPD-quinone directly into urban streams — monitoring in Puget Sound tributaries (Washington state) found concentrations of 0.1-19 ug/L during storm events, well above the lethal threshold for coho salmon. Pre-spawn mortality (PSM) in coho salmon returning to urban streams in the Pacific Northwest has been observed at rates of 40-90% during fall rain events, now attributed substantially to 6PPD-quinone toxicity. Beyond aquatic toxicity, tire wear particles contain zinc (1-2%), PAHs (including benzo[a]pyrene), benzothiazole, and heavy metals. The particles range from 10 um to 200 um, with ultrafine fractions (<100 nm) potentially entering airborne PM2.5. Washington state became the first jurisdiction to ban 6PPD in tires (SB 5931, signed 2024, effective 2030).
What's in it
Click any compound name for its full safety profile, regulatory consensus, and exposure data.
Tire Antioxidant
Tire Wear Contaminant
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