image: Graphical abstract showing the horizontal and vertical distribution of tire- and rubber-related chemicals in Lake Sihwa, SOUTH KOREA. The number of compounds with a screening Risk Quotient ≥ 1 shows how many chemicals at each location were flagged by the initial risk screening and may need closer attention in future monitoring or management.
Credit: Kurunthachalam Kannan
Global synthetic rubber production has reached 16.1 million tons in 2023. In South Korea, vehicle registrations have risen by more than 500-fold since 1966, and synthetic rubber production has been increasing in parallel. These trends show how deeply modern life is intertwined with tires and rubber products.
Tires and rubber products contain many chemicals used for different purposes including performance enhancement, and some have drawn attention because of their high toxicity to fish. In a study published in the KeAi journal Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, researchers from South Korea and the United States described the spatial patterns and historical changes of 17 tire- and rubber-related chemicals in sediments from Lake Sihwa, Korea.
"Select tire- and rubber chemical concentrations showed a clear spatial pattern," says the study's corresponding author Kurunthachalam Kannan from the Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health. "Chemical concentrations in sediments were higher in inland creeks that discharge into the lake, and higher inside the lake than offshore sites."
The researchers from in several creeks that downstream locations had much higher concentrations than upstream locations, suggesting strong local inputs from nearby industrial operations and urban runoffs. "A preliminary risk analysis suggested that concentrations of some tire- and rubber- chemicals, especially in inland creeks, may pose risk to aquatic organisms," shares Kannan.
The research team identified three broad patterns in concentration profiles in sediment cores. The shifts in these profiles may reflect a combination of changes in industrial activity, broader economic conditions, and pollution-control measures. One sediment core collected near industrial discharges reflected a pattern that may be broadly consistent with changes in tire demand and rubber production.
"Our findings established baseline for sediment concentrations and enables understanding of future trends," says Kannan.
Huiho Jeong, who led the study, adds, "Chemical data make more sense when they are considered alongside water flow, industrial activity, and the history of pollution control. That broader view helps explain where these chemicals are found, how their levels change over time, and where future changes may need closer attention."
###
Contact the author:
Kurunthachalam Kannan
Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12237, United States; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Integrated Health Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY 12237, United States.
Email: kurunthachalam.kannan@health.ny.gov
The publisher KeAi was established by Elsevier and China Science Publishing & Media Ltd to unfold quality research globally. In 2013, our focus shifted to open access publishing. We now proudly publish more than 200 world-class, open access, English language journals, spanning all scientific disciplines. Many of these are titles we publish in partnership with prestigious societies and academic institutions, such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).
Journal
Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology
Method of Research
Observational study
Subject of Research
Not applicable
Article Title
Spatiotemporal distribution of 1,3-diphenylguanidine, benzotriazole, benzothiazole, N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine, and their derivatives in surface and core sediments from Lake Sihwa, Korea
COI Statement
Kurunthachalam Kannan is the editor-in-chief of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology and was not involved in the editorial review or the decision to publish this article. All the other authors declare that they have no competing interests.