BACKGROUND

The ACRP has solicited letters of interest from researchers to produce a white paper, known as an ACRP First Look, on tire anti-degradants 6PPD and 6PPS-quinone (6PPD-q) and their potential impacts on airports.

ACRP is a contract research program that develops near-term, practical solutions to problems facing airport-operating agencies. It is sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration and managed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine through the Transportation Research Board. Program oversight and governance are provided by representatives of airport-operating agencies and others appointed to the ACRP Oversight Committee by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

ACRP recognizes that some topics are so new, or are evolving so quickly, that they may not be suitable for a traditional research effort. In these instances, ACRP uses an abbreviated research process to develop an ACRP First Look (typically 50 pages or fewer). ACRP First Looks provide the airport industry with context on quickly developing topics in a timely manner, typically within 6 months.

Attention has recently focused on 6PPD and its formation product 6PPD-q since it has been linked to the mortality of select fish species in North American streams. 6PPD is an anti-degradant added to tires to prevent them from breaking down and helps them last longer. However, throughout the life of the tire, friction causes tire wear particles to be released into the environment. The 6PPD and 6PPD-q included in these tire wear particles are released to the atmosphere and roadways, where they enter bodies of water through surface runoff. Attention to the occurrence, fate, and transport of 6PPD and 6PPD-q to date has primarily focused on roadway impacts from cars and trucks. However, as these tire anti-degradants also are added to aircraft tires and the tires of ground service equipment operating at airports, they are expected to be present in stormwater runoff from airports. Furthermore, rubber from tires has frequently been identified in foreign object debris collected from impervious surfaces at airports, such as runways, taxiways, and aprons. Yet little focus has been on the prevalence and impacts of 6PPD and 6PPD-q and their sources at airports. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently developing a testing method for 6PPD-q, and regulations are anticipated in the near term, which could affect the management of stormwater and other media at airports. However, the scale of the potential impacts, technical challenges, and research needs that airport managers may face in monitoring and responding to 6PPD and 6PPD-q have not been fully explored.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to prepare an ACRP First Look that provides an overview of anti-tire degradants and their nexus with airports, including issues, potential challenges and opportunities, regulatory and legal context, and future needed research.

SCHEDULE, BUDGET, AND DELIVERABLES

The subaward duration is 6 months. The budget for this effort is a fixed price of $50,000 and includes the following deliverables:

• Annotated outline of the First Look due 2 weeks after the Notice to Proceed (NTP).
• Draft Final First Look due within 4 months of the NTP.
• Final First Look and response to panel comments due within 6 months of the NTP.

LETTER OF INTEREST SUBMISSION CONTENTS

Letters of interest should include:

• Cover letter;
• Resume(s) or CV(s) describing general knowledge of airport environmental issues and specific expertise in the topic;
• List of work accomplished in the subject area; and

STATUS: Responses have been received for the RFP. ACRP will meet to select a contractor to perform the work.