Researchers in Switzerland have discovered tyre additive residues in approximately one-third of the fruit and vegetables consumed in the country. These particles, more particularly 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone, are released into the environment as a result of tyre wear on roads. They are then dispersed in the air and contaminate the soil, even in areas far from traffic.
This pollution is of concern to producers, including those located in the countryside, far from major roads. The study shows that contamination makes no distinction between organic and conventional farming: residues are present in all kinds of crops. According to Florian Breider, a researcher at the École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne, interviewed by France Info, "traces are found in most of the vegetables analyzed."
Traces have even been found in isolated natural environments, such as mountain lakes. Although the effects on human health are still poorly understood, some studies in the United States have already shown that they are dangerous for aquatic fauna, particularly fish species.
Florian Breider also points out that "the vegetables analyzed include Italian, Spanish, and French vegetables, for example. The vegetables we bought, which are representative of the Swiss market, are probably not that different from those on the market in France or other European countries, where we would most likely find more or less the same results."