--- title: "Learning What Substance Is Suspected of Causing Alzheimer’s May Throw You Into an Existential Crisis" description: "A surprisingly common substance was found to have a causal relationship with the kind of brain damage associated with Alzheimer's disease." date: "2026-07-09" modified: "2026-07-09" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/health-medicine/chemical-causing-alzheimers-disease-brain-damage-tires" categories: - "Brain" - "Health & Medicine" - "Neuroscience and Brain" - "Studies" --- # Learning What Substance Is Suspected of Causing Alzheimer’s May Throw You Into an Existential Crisis ![A line of cars and vans closely packed together on a road, viewed from the rear side. The vehicles include a white car, a black car, and an orange van, among others, reflecting light and nearby surroundings. The scene suggests traffic congestion.]() *Shutterstock / Futurism* If you drive, your car's tires are shredding more than just tread: they may be mincing up our grey matter too. New research by a team in China discovered an alarming link between a chemical commonly found in tires and the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The chemical, called 6PPD-Q, is formed when fine tire particles meet ozone. That happens anytime new chunks of tire are exposed to the air, meaning the particle may be nearly ubiquitous in car-heavy environments. According to the findings, recently published [in the journal *Open Medicine*](), when the ozone-treated chemical meets our brain cells, it can cause oxidative stress — wear and tear, basically — and inflammation, while also reducing how effectively individual cells "communicate" with one another. These factors strongly correlate to the development of early-stage Alzheimer's, suggesting anyone who regularly comes into contact with rubber tires may be inadvertently exposing themselves to brain-altering chemicals. For those in car-dependent regions of the world like North America, that's a pretty significant chunk of the population. The chemical makes its way into our brains through our blood, which it enters primarily when we breathe in dust particles laden with 6PPD-Q. Other [avenues of exposure]() include crops and soil, stadium turf, working near highways or with cars, and contact with recycled tire products. While scientists already knew that 6PPD-Q interacts with the brain somehow, the chemical's newfound molecular connection to Alzheimer's is significant. Using machine learning software, the team mapped how effectively the chemical binds to five "Alzheimer predictor genes," finding that 6PPD-Q forms strong bonds with three. Beyond humans, 6PPD-Q run-off from roadways is having a sizable impact on fish populations, notably salmon. One [2022 study]() on the environmental journey road runoff takes described the substance as a "highly toxic tire-derived chemical," which [has caused]() "mass mortalities of coho salmon," specifically. Going forward, scientists still need to conduct broader lab tests on human cells in order to figure out how severely various quantities of 6PPD-Q contribute to Alzheimer's disease. Only then can we get a sense of just how risky it is to burn rubber. **More on pollution:** *[Amazon Is Spewing a Record Breaking Amount of Pollution to Power Its AI Data Centers]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()