Are eco-friendly “green” tires also chemically green? Comparing metals, rubbers and selected organic compounds in green and conventional tires

Tires are a major source of synthetic and natural rubber particles, metals and organic compounds, in which several compounds are linked to negative environmental impact. Recent advances in material technology, coupled with focus on sustainability, have introduced a new range of tires, sold as “green, sustainable, and eco-friendly”. Although these “green” tires may have lower impact on the environment on a global scale, there is no current knowledge about the chemical composition of “green” tires, and whether they are more eco-friendly when considering the release of tire wear particles or tire-associated chemicals. Here we have investigated the chemical composition of nine “green” vehicle tires, one “green” bike tire and seven “conventional” vehicle tires. No significant difference was found between “green” and “conventional” tires tested in this study. For N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD), the average concentration in “green” tires were higher (16 ± 7.8 µg/mg) compared to “conventional” tires (8.7 ± 4.5 µg/mg). The relationship between metals, selected organic compounds and rubbers demonstrated large variation across brands, and lower variability between tires grouped according to their seasonal use. This study indicates that more work is needed to understand how the shift towards sustainable tires might change the chemical composition of tires.