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Impregnation levels and gradient of tire wear particle content of surface soils adjacent to a major road
Summary
Researchers assessed the impregnation levels and spatial gradient of tire and road wear particle (TRWP) contamination in surface soils adjacent to a major road, investigating how proximity to the road surface affects the degree of microplastic loading in roadside soil profiles. The results showed significant TRWP concentrations in soils closest to the road, with contamination gradients extending laterally into adjacent land, confirming roadside soils as durable repositories of tyre-derived microplastics.
Many studies focus on the ubiquity of microplastics (MP) in the ecosphere. However, only a limited number of studies take into consideration tire and road wear particles (TRWP), which are generated by frictional forces at the tire-pavement interface. In fact, TRWP emissions also tend to disperse and the degree of contamination would be particularly significant when the receiving environmental compartment adjoins the road. Therefore, roadside soils are expected to represent one of the environmental matrices most durably exposed to this pollution. To assess the degree and extent of roadside impregnation, we determined the TRWP content of surface soils collected along a 200 m transect from a major road in western France. Data show strong contamination within the first few meters from the road, peaking around 4000 mg.kg-1. An exponential decrease in TRWP content was observed up to 20 m from the road edge, followed by a stabilization corresponding to background values (averaging 358 ± 77 mg.kg-1). The measurements also reveal that 13 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/556171/document