Tire and rubber chemicals leave decades-long contamination record in Lake sediments

Global synthetic rubber production has reached 16.1 million tons in 2023. In South Korea, vehicle registrations have risen  by more than 500-fold since 1966, and synthetic rubber production has been increasing in parallel. These trends show how deeply modern life is intertwined with tires and rubber products. 

Tires and rubber products contain many chemicals used for different purposes including performance enhancement, and some have drawn attention because of their high toxicity to fish. In a study published in the KeAi journal Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, researchers from South Korea and the United States described the spatial patterns and historical changes of 17 tire- and rubber-related chemicals in sediments from Lake Sihwa, Korea.

"Select tire- and rubber chemical concentrations showed a clear spatial pattern," says the study's corresponding author Kurunthachalam Kannan from the Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health. "Chemical concentrations in sediments were higher in inland creeks that discharge into the lake, and higher inside the lake than offshore sites."

The researchers from in several creeks that downstream locations had much higher concentrations than upstream locations, suggesting strong local inputs from nearby industrial operations and urban runoffs. "A preliminary risk analysis suggested that concentrations of some tire- and rubber- chemicals, especially in inland creeks, may pose risk to aquatic organisms," shares Kannan.

The research team identified three broad patterns in concentration profiles in sediment cores. The shifts in these profiles may reflect a combination of changes in industrial activity, broader economic conditions, and pollution-control measures. One sediment core collected near industrial discharges reflected a pattern that may be broadly consistent with changes in tire demand and rubber production.

"Our findings established baseline for sediment concentrations and enables understanding of future trends," says Kannan.

Huiho Jeong, who led the study, adds, "Chemical data make more sense when they are considered alongside water flow, industrial activity, and the history of pollution control. That broader view helps explain where these chemicals are found, how their levels change over time, and where future changes may need closer attention."

Contact author:

Kurunthachalam Kannan

Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12237, United States; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Integrated Health Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY 12237, United States.

Email: kurunthachalam.kannan@health.ny.gov

Conflict of interest: 

Kurunthachalam Kannan is the editor-in-chief of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology and was not involved in the editorial review or the decision to publish this article. All the other authors declare that they have no competing interests.

See the article: 

Jeong, H., Li, Z.-M., Moon, H.-B., and Kannan, K. (2026). Spatiotemporal distribution of 1,3-diphenylguanidine, benzotriazole, benzothiazole, N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine, and their derivatives in surface and core sediments from Lake Sihwa, Korea. Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, 8, 1466-1475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enceco.2026.03.011