6-PPD Update

Remember 6PPD-q, the second most toxic to coho chemical ever tested?  It is still with us, and is frequently in the news.  A few highlights to bring you up to date:

• Washington State has added 6PPD-q to the list of “Priority Chemicals” that will help incent tire manufacturers to find a safe substitute for this anti-oxidant used in almost all automotive tires, but it will take years to get this chemical out of the installed base.
• The State Department of Ecology has established a “safe level” of 6PPD-q of 8 nanograms/liter, which is about a tenth of the concentration known to kill coho in a matter of hours.  A good step, but has yet to be enforced. 
• In the meantime, it is critical to get this virulent poison out of stormwater, but unfortunately, a great deal of stormwater is flushed straight from roadways into salmon-bearing streams.  The highest concentrations will hit streams immediately after precipitation, so timing is everything when it comes to sampling.  A statewide Stormwater Work Group has sponsored a model that takes this timing into account, so sampling protocols can be set up to come up with accurate measurements.
• Thankfully, 6PPD-q is not a ‘forever chemical’, and has a half-life, meaning that it breaks down over time.  This has been measured to be dependent on what it is mixed with, and can be as short as days or as long as many months.
• 6PPD-q can be removed from run-off by simple filters, referred to as Best Management Practices, or BMP’s, which range from simple straw, sand and compost rolls to sophisticated activated carbon matrixes. 
• 6PPD is a major component of artificial turf, and is being investigated as yet another source of 6PPD-q in athletic field runoff.  6PPD-q has not been linked to any human impacts.  Yet.
• A recent trade article forecasts a 5% per year growth in the sales of 6PPD to tire manufacturers.  Wow!  Hard to believe that the chemical manufacturing industry just sees the sales of this chemical as ‘business as usual’.

So, what can YOU do about 6PPD?  Tell your elected officials you care about this risk to our salmon.  I guarantee that our LD 5 electeds know how to spell it correctly.  ;~)   Yes, they are concentrating on getting elected, but they need to know you want action here.  Second, drive less.  Carpool.  Walk.  Use public transportation.  Anything that reduces rubber wear on pavement.