This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Every year, tire and road wear release an estimated 6 million tons of rubber particles into the environment, some of which eventually reach agricultural land through the air, water runoff and fertilizers. Because dairy farms often operate near roads, rubber-related chemicals can make their way into milk, potentially exposing people to them.
To investigate whether these compounds are present in Swiss dairy production, a team from EPFL led by Florian Breider, director of the EPFL Central Environmental Laboratory, collaborated with Agroscope. The researchers analyzed the composition of milk samples from 17 Swiss farms. The analysis revealed four rubber-related chemicals in raw milk, and at least one of these compounds was present in seven of the 17 samples analyzed.
In contrast, none of the target compounds were detected in the three samples collected from alpine farms located far from busy roads. However, the sample size was too small to establish a clear relationship between contaminant concentrations and road traffic near the farms. More surprising was the discovery that dairy equipment itself may contribute to contamination.
Analysis of hoses, seals and other rubber components used in milk production revealed 14 rubber-related chemicals. "What is surprising is that these compounds come from materials legally authorized to be in contact with food," Breider says. The results, published in Food Chemistry X, show that although the concentrations found were generally low, researchers need to better understand the pathways these chemicals follow before reaching milk and assess any potential public health risks.
"This work was a preliminary study, and we need to evaluate the actual risks associated with these findings," Breider says. During collection and processing, milk passes through equipment whose components are made of rubber-based materials that contain additives. These additives make the materials more flexible, resistant to heat and wear, and better able to withstand repeated use.
However, over time, these rubbers and additives may gradually release small amounts of the chemicals they contain, a process known as migration. This represents a potential pathway through which rubber-related chemicals could enter the food supply. Researchers analyzed the composition of different rubber-based materials and dairy equipment at farms where the materials already showed some level of degradation.
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