Weck Labs Develops New Isotope-dilution LC-MS/MS Method for 6PPD-quinone & Precursor Compound 6PPD
Apr
23
Written by:
4/23/2021 3:54 PM
A team led by researchers at the University of Washington Tacoma, UW and Washington State University Puyallup discovered, after years of research, a chemical that kills Coho salmon in urban streams. When it rains, tire wear fragments wash into streams where salmon are exposed to chemical degradants from tire wear. Researchers found that 6PPD, an antioxidant preservative used in nearly all tire manufacturing, can oxidize into 6PPD-quinone (2-anilino-5-([4-methylpentan-2-yl]amino)cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione), the toxic chemical found to be responsible for killing Coho salmon in areas with urban runoff.
This is likely a universal problem as 6PPD appears to be used as a preservative in nearly all tires and may be present in creeks and waterways near busy roads across the world. The fatal effects of 6PPD-quinone may impact other aquatic organisms as well.
Since 6PPD-quinone is not currently an EPA Priority Pollutant, many analytical labs are not equipped to test for 6PPD-quinone, leaving water quality experts without options to test stormwater samples. To meet this emerging need, Weck Labs developed an analytical method using state-of-the-art LC-MS/MS technology, allowing for the detection of both the precursor compound 6PDD, and the harmful oxidized product 6PPD-quinone.
Analytical Details
| Reporting Limit: |
10 ng/L |
| Technique: |
Isotopic dilution LC-MS/MS |
| Targets: |
6PPD-quinone and parent compound 6PPD |
| Preservation: |
<6 C degrees |
| Sample Volume: |
125 mL |
California to Tire Makers: Please Remove Harmful Chemicals that Threaten our Aquatic Life and Waterways | Department of Toxic Substances Control