Background and objectives

As a consequence of road use in National Parks, particles from tire wear are continuously released and can reach aquatic ecosystems through runoff water. In addition to rubber, these particles contain additives that are potentially toxic to aquatic communities, such as metals or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In turn, the use of fluxes for winter viability on roads in some High Mountain National Parks could be causing an increase in the salinity of adjacent ecosystems. The overall objective of this project is to study the fate, impact and mitigation of particulate matter released by tires and salts from winter fluxes in rivers and streams of High Mountain National Parks. To this end:

General activities

1. We will measure salinity and associated ions and levels of particulate matter released from tires in rivers and streams of Ordesa y Monte Perdido, Sierra de Guadarrama and Sierra Nevada National Parks;
2. We will study whether the input of particulate matter released from tires and salinization alter the benthic populations inhabiting rivers and streams of these Parks, as well as the individual and combined effects of these stressors through toxicity tests;
3. We will determine the degree to which different environmental and anthropogenic variables influence the input of these pollutants and evaluate the use of geomaterials as an effective strategy for reducing the input of salts and trace metals through ex situ and in situ tests in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park.

Expected results

The results of the project will allow us to identify rivers and streams subject to increased salinity, generate a map of concentrations of particles released by tires in these ecosystems, obtain biodiversity inventories of river benthic communities under stress and identify sensitive taxa as possible indicators of the entry of these pollutants. In addition, the environmental risks of these pollutants will be assessed, actions will be proposed to minimize their entry and a monitoring network will be proposed for those rivers and streams at risk. The results of the project, focused on three High Mountain National Parks covering the North, Center and South of the peninsula, will be relevant for other parks of the Network that may suffer similar threats, both individually (e.g. due to the release of particles from tires) and jointly.

Project 3303/2024 is funded by the Autonomous National Parks Agency of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge.