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Waste Tire Composition and Environmental Impacts: a Systematic Review of Chemical Constituents, Release Pathways, and Pollution Risks
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This review of 30 studies shows that worn tires release tiny particles, chemicals, and microplastics into air, water, and soil, some of which are known health hazards. As these particles are already turning up in the environment, understanding how they spread matters for reducing our exposure. The researchers also point to recycling methods that could help cut this pollution.
Waste tires are a significant environmental concern due to their complex chemical composition and persistent nature. This review analyzed 30 literature records published between 2015 and 2025, covering 6 studies (20.0%) on tire composition, 9 (30.0%) on release pathways, 10 (33.3%) on environmental impacts, and 5 (16.7%) on recycling and valorization. The reviewed studies highlight the occurrence of tire-derived particles, PAHs, metals, microplastics, and other potentially hazardous compounds in environmental compartments. Recent research also demonstrates the potential of pyrolysis, carbonization, and material recovery for waste-tire valorization. Overall, the literature emphasizes the need for integrated strategies that combine environmental risk reduction with efficient resource recovery and circular-economy approaches.
More Papers Like This
Waste Tire Composition and Environmental Impacts: a Systematic Review of Chemical Constituents, Release Pathways, and Pollution Risks
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This review pulls together 30 studies on old tires, showing how they break down into tiny particles, chemicals, and microplastics that can pollute air, water, and soil. As tires wear down on roads, these particles can end up in our environment and potentially our bodies, which is why researchers are pushing for better recycling methods to reduce this hidden pollution source.
Tire-Derived Microplastics as Chemically Complex Environmental Contaminants: Mechanistic Pathways, Exposure Gradients, and Implications for Environmental Health.
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Every time tires wear down on the road, they release tiny plastic and chemical particles into the air, water, and soil, and this review pulls together existing research showing these particles carry a toxic mix of chemicals linked to inflammation, blood vessel damage, and stress on the body's systems. People living near busy roads may face the highest exposure, raising concerns about long-term risks for heart and metabolic disease, though scientists say more direct research is needed to confirm exactly how much harm this causes in humans.
Tire/Tyre Wear Particles in the Terrestrial Environment: A Critical Scoping Review
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Every time tires roll on pavement, they shed tiny particles that end up in soil, dust, and waterways—and this review pulls together five years of research on where these particles go and what harm they might cause. While scientists are still working out the full health picture, tire particles are known to carry chemicals linked to toxicity in animals and plants, raising concern about long-term human exposure through air, soil, and food chains. The takeaway: this is a fast-growing pollution source that needs better tracking and stronger policies, since we're still in the early stages of understanding how it could affect our health.
Risk assessment of tire wear in the environment – a literature review
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This review assesses the environmental risks of tire wear emissions, which release microplastic-like particles containing polymers and potentially toxic chemicals into water and soil. While initial risk estimates suggest low risk from the particulate emissions themselves, the chemicals that leach from tire particles remain poorly characterized. The findings are relevant to human health because tire wear is one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution, and the leached chemicals may enter drinking water.
A review of rubber tyre derived micro- and nanoplastics: fate, impact and risks
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This systematic review examines microplastics generated from rubber tire wear, which are a major but often overlooked source of microplastic pollution. Tire particles spread through air, stormwater, and wastewater to contaminate both land and water. This is an important human health concern because tire-derived microplastics contain toxic chemicals and are found in the air people breathe and the water they drink.
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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.