River Evenlode polluted by toxic chemicals from tyres

The report from Earthwatch Europe confirmed this week that harmful chemicals are entering UK waterways from roads every time it rains, potentially causing serious environmental harm. 

Neighbours of the Evenolde River in Oxfordshire collected samples from surface water on roads, from water outfalls to the river and in the receiving water, finding more than 900 unique organic chemical compounds in the samples. 

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Of these, 11 were novel tyre compounds, newly evidenced as coming from tyres.

All the compounds contained a mix of chemicals known to be toxic to aquatic life, with the potential to bioaccumulate and some which are known carcinogens.

The River Evenlode in west Oxfordshire was the subject of the study, providing evidence of toxic chemical pollution (Image: Earthwatch Europe) Dr Sasha Woods, director of science and policy at Earthwatch Europe, said: "Our research has compellingly demonstrated that tyre chemicals are entering our rivers, creating a toxic soup that threatens aquatic life.

"The presence of these novel chemicals, alongside known toxins, underscores the need for greater research and regulatory attention on this issue.

"This should be a wake-up call: we need urgent action to address this pollution at its source and protect the health of our freshwater ecosystems.”

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For years, road runoff has bene identified as a significant sources of pollution, but until now, the direct link between tyre wear and the chemicals it releases into rivers had not be thoroughly explored. 

Tyre wear is a growing environmental issue which has been previously overlooked, the study said (Image: Earthwatch Europe) Toxic pollutants identified include methylene chloride, a volatile solvent which can cause severe damage to aquatic ecosystems, leading to the disruption of reproductive processes, neurological damage and even death in aquatic organisms. 

Another pollutant identified was n-hexane, another industrial solvent, which has been shown to cause nerve damage in aquatic species and can accumulate up the food chain, potentially impacting humans who consume contaminated fish or water.

According to the report, in England alone there are more than 18,000 outfalls associated with the motorways and roads with more than a million local highway drains discharging directly to watercourses.

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It adds that this runoff can "commonly enter our freshwater environments without treatment."

Tyre wear pollution is an issue being exacerbated by the increasing popularity of large, heavy passenger vehicles and the number of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) on the roads, and isn't being addressed as an environmental problem in the same way things like exhaust emissions are. 

More than 18,000 outfalls into rivers and waterways allow toxic chemicals to enter waste and freshwater supplise (Image: Earthwatch Europe) Earthwatch Europe is calling on the Environment Agency and National Highways to focus on this growing issue which must be backed by funding and data-driven change.

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Dr Woods thanked Oxfordshire volunteers for their involvement in the citizen science initiative. 

She added: "Citizen scientists have played a crucial role in uncovering the extent of tyre pollution in our rivers.

"Their dedication has provided critical data, demonstrating the power of community involvement in environmental monitoring and the urgent need for authorities to integrate citizen science into their freshwater monitoring frameworks."