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Global Road-Network Tire-Wear Particle Emissions - Code and Data Repository
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Every time car and truck tires roll down the road, they shed tiny particles of rubber and chemicals that wash into soil, rivers, and wildlife habitats—and this study maps where that pollution is heaviest worldwide, finding rural and wild areas near major roads are surprisingly at risk, not just cities. While this research centers on ecosystems, it's a reminder that these same tire particles are a form of microplastic pollution that can travel through water and air, raising ongoing questions about human exposure too. Notably, switching to electric vehicles alone won't solve the problem, since EVs are heavier and can produce similar or greater
Companion code and processed data for: 'Global biodiversity threat from extra-urban tire-wear pollution' (Song et al.). Includes: Monte Carlo emission inventory pipeline (baseline + EV100 scenario), ecological exposure vulnerability (EEV) calculation scripts, and Source_Data.xlsx with all processed outputs underlying manuscript figures and tables. See README.md for execution order, dependencies, and input data sources.
More Papers Like This
Global Road-Network Tire-Wear Particle Emissions - Code and Data Repository
AI summary Read the abstract
Every time tires roll on roads, they shed tiny plastic particles that wash into soil, rivers, and ecosystems far beyond cities—and this study maps where that pollution is heaviest worldwide. The findings suggest that switching to electric vehicles alone won't solve the problem, since EVs are often heavier and can produce similar or even more tire-wear particles. While this research focuses on wildlife and ecosystems, it's a reminder that tire dust is a major, often overlooked source of microplastics in our environment—the same particles increasingly found in human blood, lungs, and organs.
Where the rubber meets the road: Emerging environmental impacts of tire wear particles and their chemical cocktails
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About 3 billion new tires are produced every year, and the particles they shed during use are one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution, especially in urban areas. Tire wear particles contain a cocktail of heavy metals, plastics, and toxic organic compounds that wash into waterways during rain. Even recycled tire products like crumb rubber fields and rubber-modified pavement continue to release pollutants, making tire pollution a complex lifecycle problem.
Vehicle tyres - A key source of microplastics to the environment: Fate, effects, and mitigation strategies
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Every time car tires roll on the road, they shed tiny plastic and rubber particles that wash into our air, soil, and waterways, making tires one of the biggest sources of microplastic pollution around. This review pulls together existing research on where these particles end up, how they may affect wildlife and human health, and what steps (like better tire designs or road filters) could help cut down on this overlooked pollution source.
Vehicle tyres - A key source of microplastics to the environment: Fate, effects, and mitigation strategies
AI summary Read the abstract
Every time your car tires touch the road, they shed tiny plastic particles that end up in our air, water, and soil, making tires one of the biggest sources of microplastics in the environment. This review pulls together existing research on where this tire dust ends up and how it affects living things, and while more research is still needed on human health risks, it's a reminder that even routine driving contributes to the plastic pollution we're increasingly breathing in and consuming.
Tire Abrasion as a Major Source of Microplastics in the Environment
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This study analyzed tire wear particles as a major source of microplastics in the environment, estimating that tire abrasion contributes a substantial fraction of total microplastic emissions globally and highlighting road runoff as a key delivery pathway to waterways.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.