A man in jeans holds up a tire that has separated from its treads. Image credit: TireZoo/Flickr.
Tracking Tire Wear Pollution to Protect Lake Superior Watersheds
Tire wear particles (TWPs) are an emerging source of water pollution in urban runoff, releasing chemicals like 6PPD‑quinone – used in almost all vehicle tires to protect rubber from cracking – that are highly toxic to fish. This project, led by the University of Minnesota Duluth, Natural Resources Research Institute, is working to identify chemical “fingerprints” of TWPs and understand how sunlight and natural organic matter affect their breakdown. By developing ways to detect these contaminants in streams, researchers aim to help watershed managers pinpoint pollution sources, reduce risks to fish populations, and protect the health of Lake Superior’s watersheds.
Funding
Project team
Lead Principal Investigator:
Bridget Ulrich
[email protected]
Aqueous Geochemist, Natural Resources Research Institute
University of Minnesota Duluth
Co-Principal Investigator:
Melissa Maurer-Jones
[email protected]
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Minnesota Duluth
Why Sea Grant?
This project supports Minnesota Sea Grant's focus area in Healthy Coastal Ecosystems.
By developing ways to detect TWP contaminants in streams, researchers aim to help watershed managers pinpoint pollution sources, reduce risks to fish populations, and protect the health of Lake Superior’s watersheds.
Lead scientist(s)
Bridget Ulrich
[email protected]
Aqueous Geochemist, Natural Resources Research Institute
University of Minnesota Duluth