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Tracking microplastics across urban drainage systems and highway runoff: a snapshot assessment
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Every time it rains, tiny plastic bits from tires and other sources wash off roads and city streets into our water systems—and this study found that road runoff carries especially high levels of tire-wear particles, most of it in extremely fine pieces smaller than a human hair. Standard water treatment methods only removed 14-42% of these microplastics (though adding a filtration step helped significantly), meaning much of this plastic pollution likely ends up in rivers and lakes. This matters because these tiny particles can carry chemicals and may eventually make their way into the water and ecosystems humans depend on, so better filtering technology could help reduce our
ABSTRACT Conceptual diagram of microplastic transport in urban drainage systems showing traffic-derived tire wear particles and other microplastics entering stormwater and combined sewer systems, with indicated concentrations of PE, PP, and SBR. Microplastics (MP) were quantified during an initial rainfall event in size-fractionated (63–2,000 and <63 μm) total suspended solids (TSS) from urban drainage systems and highway runoff. Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) were quantified. At combined sewer overflow (CSO) sites, PE concentrations ranged from 0.4 to 0.5 mg L−1 in the influent and 0.3–0.4 mg L−1 in the effluent, while PP ranged from 0.04 to 0.08 mg L−1 and SBR from 0.08 to 0.25 mg L−1. Highway runoff showed the highest SBR levels, reaching 2.1 mg L−1 in the <63-μm fraction and 0.5 mg L−1 in the 63- to 2,000-μm fraction. Sedimentation-based treatment preferentially removed TSS in the coarse fraction (65–78%) compared with the fine fraction (26–37%), whereas MP removal efficiencies were generally lower (14–42%). Additional removals of 76–82% were achieved by pile cloth filtration. Ln-transformed SBR–TSS relationships at highway sites showed significant correlations and consistent slopes, supporting TSS as a potential proxy for traffic-derived tire wear particle loads. The study provides a multimatrix snapshot across CSO-related and traffic-influenced systems, enabling comparison of treatment performance and highlighting the dominance of the <63 μm fraction, particularly in road runoff.
More Papers Like This
Assessment of fine and coarse tyre wear particles along a highway stormwater system and in receiving waters: Occurrence and transport
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Researchers tracked tire wear particles through a highway stormwater drainage system in Sweden and found contamination at nearly every sampling point, with concentrations reaching up to 17 milligrams per liter in water. A significant portion of the particles were very small, in the 1.6 to 20 micrometer range, which are harder to filter out and more likely to travel long distances. The study highlights that tire wear is a major and often overlooked source of microplastic pollution reaching waterways.
Relevance of tyre wear particles to the total content of microplastics transported by runoff in a high-imperviousness and intense vehicle traffic urban area.
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Researchers characterized microplastics and tire wear particles (TWPs) transported by urban stormwater runoff in a highly impervious catchment, finding that TWPs made up a substantial fraction of the total microplastic load in sediments of a stormwater detention reservoir. The study underscores the contribution of road traffic to microplastic pollution entering waterways.
Microplastics and Tire Wear Particles in Urban Stormwater: Abundance, Characteristics, and Potential Mitigation Strategies
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Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in urban stormwater and found levels ranging from about 4 to 59 particles per liter, with tire wear particles making up roughly 95% of all particles detected. Microlitter capture devices reduced microplastic loads by 35 to 88%, and constructed wetlands provided additional removal. The study suggests that targeted stormwater treatment infrastructure could meaningfully reduce the flow of microplastics into rivers and coastal waters.
Microplastics in Urban Runoff and Wastewater: Sources, Transport, and Advanced Removal Technologies
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This research review found that tiny plastic particles called microplastics are getting into our water systems through city runoff and sewage, coming from sources like car tire wear, synthetic clothing, and construction materials. While water treatment plants can remove many of these plastic particles, large amounts still escape into rivers, lakes, and oceans where they can eventually make their way back to us through drinking water and food. Better treatment technology and coordinated city planning are needed to protect our water supply from this growing plastic pollution problem.
Microplastics in Urban Runoff and Wastewater: Sources, Transport, and Advanced Removal Technologies
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This research review found that tiny plastic particles called microplastics are getting into our water systems through city runoff and sewage, coming from sources like car tire wear, synthetic clothing, and construction materials. While current water treatment plants can remove many of these plastic particles, a significant amount still escapes into rivers, lakes, and other water bodies that could eventually reach our drinking water. The study highlights that we need better water treatment technology and monitoring to protect our water supply from this growing plastic pollution problem.
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