The nerd in me went !!!!! writing this story: Scientists discovered that a toxin related to a preservative in our CAR TIRES has been the mystery mass killer of coho salmon. They combed through MORE THAN 2,000 CHEMICALS and their process of elimination was https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-03/coho-salmon-tire-chemical

Scientists narrowed the coho-killing culprit down to stormwater, then to creeks that were near busier roads, and finally to car tire particles. The toxin itself comes from a tire preservative that TRANSFORMS into the killer chemical when it hits the road https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-03/coho-salmon-tire-chemical

This toxic chemical was also confirmed in stormwater samples from Los Angeles and along San Francisco Bay. The chemical is so novel that we still don't know much about it. More study is needed to see how toxic this is to other species of fish -- and humans https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-03/coho-salmon-tire-chemical