In January, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) published a news release urging local-based tyre manufacturers to explore alternatives to using zinc, a chemical element they describe as harming aquatic life and burdening waterways.
According to the agency’s statement, zinc helps make rubber stronger, but also wears off tyre tread and washes into storm drains, streams, rivers and lakes, threatening California fish and other aquatic organisms.
DTSC intends to use its innovative Safer Consumer Products (SCP) programme to work with tyre makers to look for an alternative to this harmful chemical. The SCP programme seeks to remove toxic chemicals from products before they’re sold to consumers. This is more efficient and effective than issuing bans later, and, in this case, helps stormwater agencies cost-effectively meet state and federal water-quality requirements, DTSC stated.
On a related note, Joseph Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at LA Testing, a lab for indoor air quality testing of hazardous substances added that DTSC has also reported detecting high levels of zinc in many waterways and the agency was petitioned by the California Stormwater Quality Association to take this action.