Tire Wear Particles and 6PPD-Quinone (Coho Salmon Lethality) — outdoor safety profile
Elevated riskTire rubber contains 6PPD (N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine) as an antioxidant/antiozonant.
What is this product?
Tire rubber contains 6PPD (N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine) as an antioxidant/antiozonant. When 6PPD reacts with ground-level ozone, it forms 6PPD-quinone — a transformation product lethal to coho salmon at concentrations as low as 0.8 μg/L. Discovered in 2020 (Tian et al., Science). Tire wear generates 6 million tons of particles globally per year. Urban stormwater carries 6PPD-quinone from roads into salmon streams. No alternative antiozonant has been identified that doesn't form toxic transformation products.
What's in it
Click any compound name for its full safety profile, regulatory consensus, and exposure data.
Tire Component
Tire Contaminant
Red flags — when to walk away
- Product causing documented ecological damage — Consumer choice directly impacts environmental health.
Green flags — what to look for
- Third-party environmental certification or verified lower impact — Product evaluated for ecological footprint.
Safer alternatives
- Support bioretention/rain garden infrastructure — filters stormwater
- Reduced driving — lower tire wear contribution
- Research into alternative tire antiozonants — industry responsibility
Frequently asked questions
Are there safer alternatives to Tire Wear Particles and 6PPD-Quinone (Coho Salmon Lethality)?
Yes — consider: Support bioretention/rain garden infrastructure; Reduced driving; Research into alternative tire antiozonants. See the Safer alternatives section above for details.
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Open in outdoor View raw API dataReference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific information. Why we built ALETHEIA →