Most tire wear particles in the environment end up in surface waters.
Because tire particles are a complex mixture of chemicals, it is difficult to separate the effect of tire wear particles from other sources of automotive exhaust. We will use marker compounds used specifically in rubber manufacture to estimate tire dust contribution. Benzothiazoles, which are used mainly for rubber vulcanization will be used to estimate the contribution of tire particles to the road dust sample. Air particle samples will be collected beside highways near Bucknell University, and water samples will be collected in local streams and ponds. Environmental samples will be analyzed for markers of rubber tires, and also for any compounds which are identified as toxicologically important.