Leaching of zinc from tire wear particles under simulated estuarine conditions

Tire wear particles (TWP) abraded from end-of-life passenger car tires have been added at a concentration of 1 g L−1 to river water, sea water and mixtures thereof in order to examine the chemical controls on the leaching of Zn from the rubber matrix. Results of time-dependent experiments conducted over a period of 5 days were consistent with a diffusion controlled leaching mechanism with rate constants of about 0.04 mg L−1 h−1/2 in river water and between about 0.02 and 0.03 mg L−1 h−1/2 in sea water. Additional experiments revealed a reduction in Zn dissolution with both increasing salinity and pH and enhancement of leaching in the presence of fluorescent light compared with dark conditions. In corresponding experiments conducted in the presence of a fixed quantity (0.8 g L−1) of clean, fractionated estuarine sediment, aqueous Zn concentrations were reduced by at least an order of magnitude. Increasing the quantity of sediment resulted in a progressive reduction in Zn concentration until an apparent equilibrium was achieved, with partition coefficients defining the sediment–water distribution of Zn of about 550 mL g−1 and 270 mL g−1 in river water and sea water, respectively. Results are interpreted in terms of the dissolution of ZnO and other residual complexes from the matrix and the subsequent, rapid adsorption of Zn2+ ions to coexistent estuarine sediment. The findings of the study are discussed in terms of their implications for the transport, fate and effects of TWP Zn in aquatic environments that are likely to receive urban runoff.

► Zinc is solubilised from tire wear particles by a diffusion-controlled mechanism.
► Leaching of Zn is greater in river water than in sea water.
► Leached Zn is rapidly adsorbed to co-existent sediment.