In a large-scale study, Roskachestvo found a significant excess of hazardous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Chinese-made car tires. At the same time, all tested samples of domestic production fully complied with the requirements of the Russian GOST and were recognized as safe for consumers and the environment.
Experts checked 10 popular models of winter and all-season tires, assessing the key parameter — the content of the so-called "bay region hydrogens" (% HBay), which reflects the level of carcinogenic PAHs. According to GOST, the safe limit should not exceed 0.25%.
All four Russian models — Cordiant Snow Cross, Pirelli Scorpion Ice Zero 2, Ikon tyres Autograph Aqua 3 SUV and Kama NU-301 — met the standard. At the same time, each of the six Chinese tires recorded a multiple excess of the permissible level. The largest deviations were shown by Hifly HF201 tires (1.93% HBay) and Mirage MR-162 (1.88% HBay).
The market is divided. All tested tires of Russian production comply with the strict GOST, while all tested tires of Chinese production contain dangerous oils, exceeding the safe threshold by 3.2-7.7 times.
As explained in Roskachestvo, the wear of car tires annually releases millions of tons of microparticles containing PAHs into the environment. These compounds belong to the highest class of hazard and are able to accumulate in soil, water bodies and air. The presence of benzopyrene is especially alarming — a first-group carcinogen according to the classification of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), comparable in risk to tobacco smoke and asbestos.
Following the results of the audit, the organization recommended that consumers pay attention to the origin of products and choose tires that meet Russian safety standards.