Study finds tire abrasion in leafy vegetables
Published: Thursday, Jun 6th 2024, 06:10
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According to a field study, chemical substances from car tire abrasion can accumulate in leafy vegetables. Although the concentration of the substances was low, the evidence was clear, according to environmental scientists at the University of Vienna.
This is a finding of a similar magnitude to that of drug residues in plant-based foods. The study was published in the journal "Frontiers in Environmental Science" and confirms the results of an earlier laboratory study. Vegetables grown in Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Israel were examined.
According to the researchers, car tires consist of a complex mixture of materials that improve their performance and durability. This also included chemical additives, which comprised hundreds of substances.
From the fertilizer to the field
The particles from the tires are washed into sewage treatment plants when it rains, for example, and the sewage sludge that accumulates there is often spread on fields as fertilizer. "There they can be absorbed by plants and thus also reach humans," said Thilo Hofmann, head of the research group.
The samples were tested for a total of sixteen chemical compounds that are associated with tires. "While the concentrations and daily intake are fortunately relatively low, substances from car tires are still found in food. That's not where they belong," said Hofmann. The next steps should now be to investigate the health aspects. The study is a collaboration between CeMESS and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
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