Global Road-Network Tire-Wear Particle Emissions - Code and Data Repository

Summary

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.