Must be something in the water…
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
On rainy days, road runoff carries tiny tire particles into nearby streams. Chemists found these particles release a toxic compound called 6-P-P-D-quinone. But how bad is it for our fishy friends?
Enter Bonnie Lo and team from Simon Fraser University. They tested how this chemical affects different salmon species, including Chinook and Coho.
The results were alarming. Exposed salmon showed rapid breathing, loss of balance, and erratic swimming. Coho salmon were especially sensitive. About half died at concentrations as low as forty nanograms per liter.
Oh no! Our fishy friends are facing troubled waters. It’s up to us to lend a helping fin!
Reference: Lo, B. P., Marlatt, V. L., Liao, X., Reger, S., Gallilee, C., Ross, A. R. S. et al. Acute toxicity of 6PPD-quinone to early life stage juvenile Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) salmon. Environ Toxicol Chem 42, 815–822 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5568