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Start Date
4-4-2023 1:50 PM
End Date
4-4-2023 1:59 PM
Abstract
Recently, a specific component of runoff was identified to be particularly harmful to some salmonids: 6PPD-quinone, which comes from vehicle tires. Research groups in Oregon and Washington have been collecting data on this newly discovered chemical in urban streams and in stormwater runoff and treatment facilities. This new information can help us understand the threat and how to mitigate it. 6PPD-quinone has been detected in urban runoff and streams throughout the region. The distribution of the chemical generally follows expected patterns where levels increase with traffic volume. Encouragingly, the chemical appears to be removed substantially by green stormwater infrastructure, such as bioretention soils and pervious pavement. It is likely that 6PPD-quinone will continue to be present in runoff for the foreseeable future as tire manufacturers investigate substitutions for this tire additive that is critical for durability. More research is needed, but current data on stormwater green infrastructure shows that these methods are effective for treating runoff from high-traffic roads to produce runoff that is safe for salmon populations.
Subjects
Conservation biology, Fisheries, Land/watershed management, Transportation, Water quality
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/40499
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Why Didn’t the Salmon Cross the Road? Occurrence and Treatment of a Newly Discovered Tire Chemical
Recently, a specific component of runoff was identified to be particularly harmful to some salmonids: 6PPD-quinone, which comes from vehicle tires. Research groups in Oregon and Washington have been collecting data on this newly discovered chemical in urban streams and in stormwater runoff and treatment facilities. This new information can help us understand the threat and how to mitigate it. 6PPD-quinone has been detected in urban runoff and streams throughout the region. The distribution of the chemical generally follows expected patterns where levels increase with traffic volume. Encouragingly, the chemical appears to be removed substantially by green stormwater infrastructure, such as bioretention soils and pervious pavement. It is likely that 6PPD-quinone will continue to be present in runoff for the foreseeable future as tire manufacturers investigate substitutions for this tire additive that is critical for durability. More research is needed, but current data on stormwater green infrastructure shows that these methods are effective for treating runoff from high-traffic roads to produce runoff that is safe for salmon populations.