WA Ecology sets new limits on toxic chemicals that kill fish and endanger human health

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington Department of Environmental Quality earlier this week discovered a toxic byproduct of automobile tires that poses a threat to the environment and human health. The regulations are the result of years of work by Washington researchers.

6PPD is a chemical used in almost all car tires that helps prevent deformation during temperature changes. It creates a byproduct called 6PPD-quinone, which has damaged coho salmon populations in Washington.

It took Washington researchers decades to identify the chemical responsible for pre-spawning mortality in salmon populations. A research partnership between the University of Washington-Tacoma and Washington State University made a breakthrough in 2020, identifying 6PPD-quinone.

Although the Department of Environmental Protection has been aware of the danger posed by this chemical since the early 2020s, regulating this compound is no easy task. 6PPD is a ubiquitous part of modern tire production and is considered an important component of motorist safety by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association.

The department's new regulations were announced just weeks after Congress met, and represent the first nationwide numerical restriction on 6PPD exposure to freshwater in the United States.

Although 6PPD-quinone has been added to Washington's list of regulated toxicants, there are still no major measures in place to prevent the substance from entering rivers and water sources from roads. Ecology continues to investigate possible solutions to this problem.

“Once the new criteria are approved by [the US Environmental Protection Agency]Ecology will use them to identify polluted waters and develop remediation plans [and] in updating water quality permits for facilities that discharge these chemicals,” Ecology said in a press release.

FOX28 Spokane©