In 2020, after years of mysterious coho pre-spawn mortality events, scientists from Washington State identified a harmful toxin called 6PPD-quinone as the killer.
The chemical 6PPD is used to prevent tires from degrading or cracking – it helps tires last longer and function more safely. However, when 6PPD is exposed to air, it creates the by-product 6PPD-quinone, which can enter urban rivers and waterways by road run-off and kill coho as they pass through with devastating results.
Since this discovery, the PSF has been supporting local, British Columbia-based research related to 6PPD-Q and its impact on salmon. Understanding where and when there are hotspots of the chemical as well as how can the effects be mitigated are critical first steps as we wait in hopes that 6PPD can be phased out of tire production and replaced with safer alternatives. To date, BCCF and Vancouver Island University (VIU) have been sampling streams during rain events on Vancouver Island while developing rapid assessment methods. The results from these efforts can be found in an interactive map by BCCF.
PSF together with BC Conservation Foundation and Vancouver Island University convened a workshop (April 2024) to share knowledge in this rapidly developing field aimed at finding solutions. Videos of key note speakers will be made available here.
PSF with other non-profits has also requested the federal government to prioritize an investigation into the toxicity of the tire chemical that research has shown can cause mass coho mortality. This request has been acknowledged and heeded with Environment and Climate Change Canada having added 6PPD for priority assessment.