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Tire Wear Chemicals in the Urban Atmosphere: Significant Contributions of Tire Wear Particles to PM2.5
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Researchers collected 72 gas-phase and PM2.5 air samples across China's Pearl River Delta and detected 28 tire wear chemicals (TWCs) at concentrations up to 317,000 pg/m³, determining that tire wear particles account for roughly 13% of urban PM2.5 — a significant and previously underappreciated source of air pollution.
Tire wear particles (TWPs) containing tire wear chemicals (TWCs) are of global concern due to their large emissions and potential toxicity. However, TWP contributions to urban fine particles are poorly understood. Here, 72 paired gas-phase and PM2.5 samples were collected in the urban air of the Pearl River Delta, China. The concentrations of 54 compounds were determined, and 28 TWCs were detected with total concentrations of 3130-317,000 pg/m3. Most p-phenylenediamines (PPDs) were unstable in solvent, likely leading to their low detection rates. The TWCs were mainly (73 ± 26%) in the gas phase. 2-OH-benzothiazole contributed 82 ± 21% of the gas-phase TWCs and benzothiazole-2-sulfonic acid contributed 74 ± 18% of the TWCs in PM2.5. Guangzhou and Foshan were "hotspots" for atmospheric TWCs. Most TWC concentrations significantly correlated with the road length nearby. More particulate TWCs were observed than model predictions, probably due to the impacts of nonexchangeable portion and sampling artifacts. Source apportionment combined with characteristic molecular markers indicated that TWPs contributed 13 ± 7% of urban PM2.5. Our study demonstrates that TWPs are important contributors to urban air pollution that could pose risks to humans. There is an urgent need to develop strategies to decrease TWP emissions, along with broader urban air quality improvement strategies.
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Disentangling Traffic Emissions in Road Airborne Particles across China: 6PPD-Q as a Molecular Marker for Tire Wear Particles
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Scientists studying air pollution near roads in China found that a chemical called 6PPD-Q, which comes from tire rubber, can be used as a reliable marker to track tiny particles worn off car tires as they float in the air we breathe. Surprisingly, the study found that tire wear, brake dust, and road dust kicked up by traffic together make up more than 75% of traffic-related air pollution—far outweighing pollution from tailpipe exhaust. This matters because it suggests that efforts to clean up air quality have focused too heavily on exhaust fumes while largely ignoring these other sources, which may carry harmful ch
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