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Screening of Tire-Derived Chemicals and Tire Wear Particles in a Road Tunnel Wash Water Treatment Basin
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Researchers tracked tire wear particles (TWPs) and 18 tire-derived chemicals (TDCs) through a road tunnel wash water treatment process, finding that while TWPs were effectively captured by sedimentation, many dissolved TDCs passed through or increased in concentration after treatment, posing a risk to receiving water bodies.
Road tunnels play a crucial role in modern road networks, in both urban and non-urban areas, and necessitate frequent cleaning and washing due to the harsh tunnel environment. As a result, road tunnels are considered hot spots for the emission of road-related pollutants into the environment. In this study, we conducted extensive measurements of tire wear particles (TWPs) and 18 tire-derived chemicals (TDCs) during the washing process, throughout a 21-day treatment period in a rectangular sedimentation basin in concrete, and during the discharge of treated wash water. Our key findings indicate that TWPs are effectively retained in the sedimentation basin, demonstrating that simple mitigation measures can prevent their release near the source. However, several TDCs displayed high concentrations, mobility, and leachability, leading to inadequate retention in the basin. Moreover, some TDCs exhibited negative treatment performance, resulting in higher concentrations in the treated wash water than in the untreated wash water. Importantly, our findings can be applied to not only tunnel wash water but also normal road runoff, as sedimentation basins are widely used in many countries. This study provides a novel and significant contribution to the evolving understanding of the presence and fate of TWPs and TDCs in the environment.
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Researchers characterized tire and road wear particle distributions across multiple compartments of a road tunnel including road surfaces, gully pots, and wash water, finding the highest concentrations in side bank surface deposits and gully pots at the tunnel inlet. Sedimentation treatment retained only 63% of tire and road wear particles from wash water, highlighting the need for improved treatment to prevent environmental release.
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Researchers developed a methodology to quantify tire wear emissions in a road tunnel using benzothiazoles — chemical components of tire rubber — as tracers in tunnel wash water. The approach offers a practical way to estimate how much tire particle pollution, a major source of microplastics, is generated on busy road corridors.
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Researchers collected and characterized tire and road wear particles (TRWPs) from road dust in a highway tunnel, finding a complex mix of tire rubber, road asphalt, and metal particles. The study provided detailed data on the physical and chemical properties of TRWPs including their size distribution and organic compound content. This comprehensive characterization helps improve assessments of TRWP environmental hazard.
Measurement of tyre-related chemicals in roadside retention ponds using the Chemcatcher passive sampler: An ex-situ calibration and in-situ monitoring study.
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Leaching, photodegradation, and field occurrence of tire-derived chemicals and their transformation products: LC-HRMS-based target and suspect screening from laboratory to urban road runoff.
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Lab tests and road runoff samples were used to study chemicals released from tire wear particles, including how acidity and light affect their breakdown. Some chemicals leached more under acidic conditions, changed over time with light exposure, and several breakdown products were also found in road runoff alongside the original chemicals.
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