The project was launched in April 2020 at the suggestion of a consortium of tire manufacturers, as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne announced in a press release on Thursday.
The project was coordinated by the Swiss Center for Applied Ecotoxicology. The tests were conducted by EPFL in conjunction with the Swiss Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag).
The journal Environmental Science and Technology published the results after the first phase. The scientists analyzed the absorption and toxicity of microplastics from tire wear by living organisms.
In particular, the scientists studied the solubility and bioavailability of chemical components from rubber particles in the digestive tract of rainbow trout. They used an in vitro approach based on synthetic gastric and intestinal fluids.
The scientists found that the rate of absorption of the eleven substances analyzed, that is, their ability to be absorbed by the digestive tract, ranged from 0.06 to 44.1 percent. This ratio was correct regardless of whether the trout were fed or not.
(SDA)