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Advanced understanding of the natural forces accelerating aging and release of black microplastics (tire wear particles) based on mechanism and toxicity analysis
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Tire wear particles, a major but often overlooked source of microplastics in water, release heavy metals (especially zinc) and toxic organic chemicals as they age under sunlight and heat. The aging process increases the toxicity of these released substances to cells, raising concerns about long-term health effects from this widespread form of microplastic pollution.
Currently, tire wear particles (TWPs), a typical type of black microplastics (MPs), are frequently overlooked as the major source of MPs in aquatic environments. TWPs are widely distributed and exhibit complex environmental behaviors. However, how natural forces affect the aging and release behavior of TWPs at the nano(micro)scale remains inadequately explored. This study systematically investigated the aging behavior and mechanism of TWPs under the action of simulated natural light and high-temperature in both dry and wet environments, as well as the effect of aging treatment on the released leachate. The findings demonstrated that aging treatment significantly altered the physicochemical properties of TWPs, including chain scission and surface oxidation, and facilitated the release of heavy metals and organic additives in the meantime. In particular, the leaching concentration of Zn exhibited a positive linear relationship with exposure time. In the thermal-aging process, the oxidation of TWPs was primarily caused by superoxide anion (O). During the photo-aging exposure, TWPs exhibited heightened electron-donating capacity, resulting in the formation of more O and singlet oxygen (O) to attack TWPs. Moreover, the analysis of leachate produced under light and high-temperature conditions suggested that heavy metals exerted low ecological risks in water. Nonetheless, the photo-aging process enhanced the toxicity of released leachate to L929 cells, which could be attributed to highly toxic additive transformation products (such as HMMM-411 and 6PPD-Q) and more heavy metals. These findings shed light on the fate of TWPs and the ecological risks posed by aged TWPs in aquatic environments.
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Deciphering the aging-driven transformation of tire wear particles: Reshaping adsorption, leaching dynamics, and biointerfacial impacts
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Researchers reviewed how environmental aging — via photooxidation, mechanical abrasion, and biodegradation — transforms tire wear particles by increasing surface area and polarity, promoting additive leaching and the formation of reactive free radicals, collectively amplifying ecological toxicity beyond what fresh particles alone would cause.
Tire wear particles in different water environments: occurrence, behavior, and biological effects—a review and perspectives
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This review examines tire wear particles, a major but often overlooked source of microplastics in water environments. Tire particles release toxic chemicals as they break down in water and can harm aquatic organisms, but most research has focused only on the chemical leachate rather than the particles themselves. Since tire wear contributes a large share of total microplastic pollution, understanding its full impact on water ecosystems and the food chain is important for human health.
In Vitro Assessment Reveals the Effects of Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals on the Toxicity of Photoaged Tire Wear Particles
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Researchers examined how tire wear particles change when exposed to sunlight and found that the aging process generates environmentally persistent free radicals on their surfaces. These radicals significantly increased the toxicity of the particles in laboratory cell tests, causing oxidative stress and DNA damage. The study suggests that weathered tire particles may be more harmful than freshly released ones, adding a new dimension to microplastic pollution concerns.
Increased Aquatic Toxicity of Tire Wear Particles Following Oxidative Aging: Mechanism Insights into Matrix Loosening and Transformation Products
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Tiny bits of tire rubber wash into rivers and lakes, and this study found that sunlight and ozone exposure make them even more toxic over time, not less. As the particles break down, they release new chemical byproducts that made up nearly half of the harmful effects seen in zebrafish embryos, even at very low, real-world exposure levels. This matters because it suggests weathered tire particles in waterways could pose bigger risks to aquatic life (and potentially the food chain) than current safety testing accounts for, since most assessments don't look for these newly formed breakdown chemicals.
Aging increases the particulate- and leachate-induced toxicity of tire wear particles to microalgae.
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Researchers found that environmental aging of tire wear particles increases their toxicity to marine microalgae beyond that of fresh particles, with aged particles triggering greater oxidative stress, photosynthesis disruption, and metabolic changes in the algae.
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