Tire particles must be recognized as a distinct environmental threat

Tire particles are an overlooked contributor to environmental pollution, and their impact is something we can no longer afford to ignore.

It’s not just the emissions from your car’s exhaust pipe that should concern you. Lurking beneath the notion of vehicular pollution is an underestimated adversary: tire particles.

These microscopic pieces, shed from the tires of millions of vehicles worldwide, are raising alarming environmental and health concerns. All too frequently, they go unnoticed and unrecognized.

Why tire particles are unique pollutants

Tire particles are steadily moving up the ranks of environmental pollutants, and for several compelling reasons.

They are responsible for almost a third of all microplastics, making them a leading source of this concerning waste. However, these are no ordinary microplastics.

Tire particles are distinct both in size and chemical complexity, and they behave uniquely within ecosystems.

Henry Obanya at the University of Portsmouth’s Revolution Plastics Institute explained the dire need for reclassification. He noted that tire particles contain hundreds of unknown chemicals, many of which leach into the environment and pose unprecedented risks.

“Our study calls for TPs to be separated from traditional microplastics and recognized as a unique threat to environmental and public health. We need focused research to understand their pathways and impact,” he stressed.

The complex nature of tire particles

Unlike the simpler polymer chains in traditional microplastics, tire particles offer a different face. Derived from rubber mixed with a sophisticated blend of synthetic and natural materials, they are chemically unique.

Tire particles also contain various additives, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and stabilizing chemicals. As the particles degrade, they can potentially release these harmful substances into the environment.

And they are not only dangerous because of their chemical composition. Tire particles often exhibit a variable size distribution, which further complicates their impact.

These particles can travel via road runoff and wind, thereby polluting waterways and soils, and even infiltrating food chains.

Bridging the knowledge gap

Even though tire particles pose such significant threats, understanding their environmental presence, transportation, and toxic impact remains largely unexplored.

A recent study, published in the journal Environmental Research, identified ten priority research questions across four key areas: environmental detection, chemical composition, biotic impacts, and regulation.

Experts from countries worldwide, including the U.K., U.S., and Norway, have joined forces to emphasize the requirement of a standardized framework.

This would help quantify and manage these particles and their leachates, particularly as their global presence escalates.

One of the key issues addressed by the researchers is the need for more transparent information on the chemicals used in tire production.

Industrial confidentiality currently shrouds the specific compounds within tire particles. However, evidence of these chemicals, particularly from leachates, has been found in rivers worldwide, with potential adverse impacts on aquatic life.

Steering toward sustainable solutions

Addressing the issue of tire particles will require a global effort, with renewed focus on research, policy, and regulation. The establishment of an intergovernmental science-policy panel could be a significant step towards tackling this problem.

Policymakers and regulators, by addressing these research priorities, can minimize scientific uncertainties and better assess the risks posed by tire particles to ecosystems and human health.

Dr. Farhan R. Khan, senior researcher at the Norwegian Research Center (NORCE) and a contributor to the study, highlighted the importance of a unified approach.

“By gathering experts that focus on different aspects of TP pollution, from environmental presence, analytical detection, toxic effects and regulation, this study provides an overview of the current state of research and what questions we should be focused on next. Importantly, this study provides a road-map for future research needs,” said Dr. Khan.

Recognizing tire particles as a major threat

According to Dr. Imari Walker-Franklin, a researcher at RTI International, this research not only presents some of the most urgent questions to address regarding tire particle pollution but also provides some actionable steps for researchers, industry and regulators to take.

“This study is a clear call for coordinated international efforts,” said Obanya. “By recognizing TPs as a distinct environmental threat, we can drive meaningful research, guide policy, and ultimately work toward a healthier, more sustainable world.”

The envisaged outcome? A clear classification and targeted regulatory framework that could guide sustainable solutions within the tire and automotive industries. This, say the researchers, aligns with global Sustainable Development Goals.

Initiatives like this study highlight the need for coordinated international efforts to bring us closer to a future where the wheels of progress don’t leave a trail of environmental damage in their wake.

The study is published in the journal Environmental Research.

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