17. Nov 2026

From Road to Plate: Exposure to Rubber-Associated Chemicals

ISTA Sustainability Seminar

Datum: 17. November 2026 | 15:00 – 16:00
Sprecher: Thorsten Hüffer, University of Vienna
Veranstaltungsort: Moonstone G
Sprache: Englisch

Tire wear is a widespread source of rubber particles and associated chemicals in the environment. As particles move from roads into soils and waterways, tire additives can leach and transform, creating exposure pathways that extend beyond the particles themselves. This lecture will follow these chemicals from their release during tire wear to their fate in the environment, focusing on how soil properties, chemical behavior, and plant uptake shape potential exposure through food.

Drawing on laboratory studies, soil-based experiments, and measurements in commercial leafy vegetables, I will discuss the uptake and transformation of rubber-associated chemicals. The findings show that exposure depends on the compound and route of entry: some chemicals can be taken up by edible plants, while tire-wear particles may act as a continuing source of certain additives in soil. Detections in vegetables indicate a potential dietary pathway, but do not by themselves establish health effects.

The lecture will also consider what this evidence means for assessing the environmental footprint of rubber products. Evaluating alternatives requires looking beyond particle emissions to include additive composition, chemical release during use and weathering, and the movement of released compounds through soil, water, and food systems.