Tire-rubber related pollutant 6-PPD quinone: A review of its transformation, environmental distribution, bioavailability, and toxicity

The antioxidant 6-PPD has been widely used to prevent cracking and thermal oxidative degradation and to extend the service life of tire rubber. 6-PPD quinone (6-PPDQ) is formed via the reaction of 6-PPD with O3. Due to its acute lethality in coho salmon, 6-PPDQ has become an emerging pollutant of increasing concern. In this review, we provide a critical overview of the generation, environmental distribution, bioavailability, and potential toxicity of 6-PPDQ. The transformation pathways from 6-PPD to 6-PPDQ include the N-1,3-dimethylbutyl-N-phenyl quinone diamine (QDI), intermediate phenol, and semiquinone radical pathways. 6-PPDQ has been frequently detected in water, dust, air particles, soil, and sediments, indicating its large-scale and potentially global pollution trend. 6-PPDQ is bioavailable to both aquatic animals and mammals and acute exposure to 6-PPDQ can be lethal to some organisms. Exposure to 6-PPDQ at environmentally relevant concentrations could induce several types of toxicity, including neurotoxicity, intestinal toxicity, and reproductive toxicity. This review also identifies and discusses knowledge gaps and research needs for the study of 6-PPDQ. This review facilitates a better understanding of the environmental occurrence and exposure risk of 6-PPDQ.