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Vehicle tyre particles in the environment - Foresight Brief No. 034 August 2024
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This foresight brief reviews tyre-wear particles as one of the most abundant primary microplastic sources in the environment, summarising what is known about their environmental distribution, chemical composition, and toxic effects on organisms from the release of harmful tyre components during degradation. The brief evaluates available prevention and mitigation strategies and calls for more effective policy frameworks to regulate tyre particle emissions.
Tyre-wear particles are one of the most abundant types of primary microplastics discharged into the environment. During their degradation in the environment, various tyre components are released, including some chemicals with harmful effects to organisms. There are various prevention and mitigation methods that can alleviate the problems, but effectively designed and enforced policies are needed to support these strategies.
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