Contribution of Illegally Dumped Tires on Water Quality Degradation

Nels Erickson, Dr. Greg Eaton

Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, VA 24501


Abstract. Since the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972 significant progress has been made in cleaning up the navigable waters of America. Most of this success has come from regulations related to point source pollution such as, factories and
wastewater treatment plants. Nonpoint sources such as, farms, roadways, and urban and suburban landscapes remain largely unregulated (Brown & Froemke, 2012). Another source of nonpoint solution in urban landscapes comes from litter and illegal
dumping. Materials can be dumped directly into a stream or alongside a roadway. If these materials are not cleaned up prior they will eventually be washed into local streams via storm water runoff. In August of 2012 Lynchburg College Students assisted Keep
Lynchburg Beautiful in cleaning a stretch of Blackwater Creek in Sandusky Park. Among other items; fifteen tires were removed. Tires contain copper and black carbon, two targets water treatment plants monitor in determining overall water quality. Our
research will examine possible contributions to degrading water quality from illegally dumped tires.


2 of 117 Tires identified in a 2 mile stretch of Blackwater
Creek




Acknowledgements : I would like to thank Dr. Eaton, Dr. Woody McKenzie, and The Claytor Nature Studies Center for their guidance and assistance on this project. I would
also like to thank The Graduate Studies Travel Grant Committee, Charles Stevens Research Fund and Keep Lynchburg Beautiful for their support in Funding. Removing the tires from the
stream would not have been possible without the assistance of Mr. Mike Hayslett, and the ENVS 375 class, The Heritage High School Football team, Bridgestone Tires and Liberty Tire


Conclusion
Data does no show a positive correlation between tires and degraded
water conditions.
Numerous studies have been completed in relation to air quality in
relation to tire fires.
Numerous studies have been completed in relation to leachate runoff
from tire piles and the impact is has on water quality..
If we know that tires can have a negative impact on air and water
quality is other situations; it would be erroneous to conclude they do
not have an impact in other situations.
It takes hundreds of years for tires to decompose.
It is a violation of the Clean Water Act to dump anything into a
stream.
There are economic impacts in areas where litter is a problem.
Litter has also been linked to higher crime rates.
Not a lot of information on the topic due to variability in natural
systems.
Society has a negative perception on the topic. When asked how many
tires would you expect to find, several participants stated one is too
many.
STILL MORE TO COME!!
Methods and Materials
Methods

First we cut a section out of the side wall of the tire. We then
cut that section into smaller pieces. Next 12/13 beakers were filled
with approximately 12 grams of tire particles and 250ml of Reverse
Osmosis (RO) water. The thirteenth beaker had only 400 ml of RO
water and was used as a control. Then 11/13 of the beakers were
place on a stir plate which was calibrated to mix the solutions at
approximately 130 RPM. One beaker (8)was left on the counter and
was not agitated. The control was placed on a separate stir plate and
calibrated to mix at approximately 130 RPM. The solutions were
left in this state for ten days.
After the initial test period, Samples 1, 3, 5, 7. 9, 8 and 13
were placed into water sample bottles and sent to ESS,
Environmental Systems Service, Ltd., 500 Stone Street Bedford, VA
24523, to have Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analysis performed. The
remaining samples were tested for dissolved copper, total dissolved
copper, Ph, Nitrate, Iron, Chlorine, Phenolphthalein Alkalinity and
Hardness.

Materials

1 Goodyear Wrangler Radial tire removed from Blackwater Creek
12 Beakers, 2500ml
1 beaker 500ml
Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water
2 Stir Plates
Results
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1.76
8.63
3.78
1.79
1.58 1.61
1
2.85
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) mg/L
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) mg/L
Samples 2, 4, 6, 10, 11, 12, and 250ml from 13 we tested for dissolved
copper, total dissolved copper, Ph, Nitrate, Iron, Chlorine, Phenolphthalein
Alkalinity and Hardness using a Classroom Drinking Water Testing Kit
manufactured by Hach. All samples resulted in zero (or so negligible as to be
unobservable) in each category with the exception of Ph.
Copper

Copper is a trace element and constitutes about 75ppm of the tire's
particulate matter (McQuade).

Carbon Black

The most common passenger tire, P195/75R14, weighs approximately
22lbs. and contains approximately 5lbs. of Carbon Black (McQuade).
Carbon Black, often used in cosmetics and possibly as food coloring in
imported products, may contain Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
and some are suspected carcinogens (E. Miranda-Bermudez, 2012).
Tire Leachates are toxic to some organisms in aquatic environments
(Evans, 1997).

Total Organic Carbon (TOC)

A typical analysis for TOC measures both the Total Carbon (TC) as well
as Inorganic Carbon (IC, or carbonate). Subtracting the Inorganic Carbon
from the Total Carbon yields TOC. (TC-IC=TOC) (Total Organic Carbon
(TOC)).
TOC acts as a binder for PCBs. The higher the TOC level the higher the
PCB level will be (Chin-Chang Hung, 2006).




Discussion
Blackwater Creek from College Lake to headwaters