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Chemical tracers for assessing the contribution of tire wear particles in atmospheric aerosol: analytical approaches, challenges and future perspectives
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Every time your car's tires grip the road, they shed tiny plastic particles that become part of the air pollution you breathe, and this can account for more air pollution than what comes out of your tailpipe. This review paper looks at the scientific methods used to detect these tire particles in air pollution and finds that there's currently no reliable single test for them, meaning scientists still need better tools to figure out exactly how much of the air we breathe contains this tire-derived microplastic pollution and its associated chemicals. This matters because until we can accurately measure it, it's hard to fully assess the health risks these particles and their leaching chemicals may pose.
Non-exhaust traffic-derived particulate matter (PM) currently constitutes a significant fraction of urban environmental pollution, often surpassing exhaust emissions. Non-exhaust sources, originating primarily from tire and brake wear and road dust resuspension, account for an estimated 50–85% of total traffic-related PM 10 emissions. Tire Wear Particles (TWPs), and Tire and Road Wear Particles (TRWPs), are fine particles (≤5 mm) generated by the frictional interaction between tires and road surfaces, representing a major source of microplastics (MPs) in the environment. TRWPs pose significant environmental and health risks, related not only to their particulate nature (contributing to PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) but also to the leaching of toxic chemical additives and transformation products (TPs). Therefore, assessing the contribution of TRWPs to aerosol burden is critical and also challenging, due to their heterogeneous nature, variable chemical composition and the lack of standardized protocols for determination in the atmosphere. This paper reviews and compares the chemical tracers and analytical approaches employed for TRWP identification and quantification. The current consensus highlights that relying on a single compound (e.g., rubber, Zn, BTHs, phthalates) lacks the necessary specificity. Therefore, the integration of multiple tracers and the cross-validation using different analytical techniques (e.g., combining spectroscopy, Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), and High Performance Liquid Chromatography – High Resolution Mass Spectromerty (HPLC-HRMS) for organic markers) is crucial to overcome methodological limitations and understand the input of TRWPs in environmental matrices. Future research must prioritize the development of standardized protocols, certified reference materials, and the continued evaluation of transformation products to fully understand the contribution and impact of TRWPs on atmospheric pollution.
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Scientists developed a new method to track tiny particles that come from car tires wearing down on roads, which are now recognized as one of the biggest sources of microplastic pollution worldwide. They found these tire particles can travel far from roads through the air and change into different chemicals, including some that may be harmful. This matters because these airborne tire particles could pose risks to human health and the environment, but we're just starting to understand how much is actually in the air we breathe.
Analytical challenges and possibilities for the quantification of tire-road wear particles
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This review examines the analytical challenges involved in measuring tire-road wear particles, one of the largest sources of microplastic emissions. Researchers cataloged the wide range of methods used to detect and quantify these particles, noting that their varied size, shape, density, and chemical makeup make consistent measurement difficult. The study highlights the need for standardized analytical approaches so that results from different studies can be meaningfully compared.
Detecting the Invisible: Analytical Advances and Regulatory Gaps in Tyre and Road Wear Particle Pollution
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This research review reveals that tiny particles from car tires scraping against roads make up nearly 28% of all microplastic pollution worldwide, yet we barely understand or regulate this massive source of contamination. These tire particles contain rubber, metals, and other chemicals that spread through the air we breathe and water systems, but scientists still lack consistent methods to properly detect and measure them. The study highlights an urgent need for better testing methods and pollution policies to protect human health from this largely invisible but widespread form of microplastic exposure.
Microplastics and tire wear particles in aquatic environment: A comparative review on generation, characteristics and environmental behavior
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Tiny bits of rubber worn off from car tires are actually one of the biggest sources of microplastic pollution in our water, yet they've gotten far less scientific attention than plastic microplastics from bottles and packaging. This review paper — which summarizes existing research rather than presenting new experiments — shows that tire particles behave differently, potentially leaching different chemicals and carrying pollutants in unique ways, meaning the safety testing methods designed for regular microplastics may not fully capture the risks tire particles pose to waterways and, ultimately, human health.
Tire crumb in the environment: a review on occurrence, fate and recent advances in detection and analysis
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This review provides a comprehensive assessment of tire wear particles as environmental contaminants, covering their physical and chemical properties, occurrence across environmental matrices, and detection methods. Researchers found that tire wear particles are present in air, water, and soil worldwide but remain difficult to quantify due to their variable density, aging behavior, and lack of standardized detection protocols. The study highlights the urgent need for consistent analytical methods to better understand how these particles move through and impact the environment.
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