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Chemical composition and potential health risks of tire and road wear microplastics from light-duty vehicles in an urban tunnel in China
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Researchers collected tire and road wear microplastics from a traffic tunnel in China and analyzed their chemical makeup, finding high levels of phthalates, rubber compounds, and other potentially harmful substances. Concentrations varied by time of day, peaking during rush hours when traffic was heaviest. The study suggests that tire-derived microplastics carry a cocktail of chemicals that could pose health risks to people who live or work near busy roads.
Tire and road wear microplastics (TRWMPs) are one of the main non-exhaust pollutants of motor vehicles, which cause serious environmental and health issues. Here, TRWMPs in PM samples were collected in a tunnel in urban Xi'an, northwest China, during four periods [I: 7:30-10:30, II: 11:00-14:00, III: 16:30-19:30, IV: 20:00-23:00 local standard time (LST)] in summer of 2019. The chemical components of rubbers, benzothiazoles, phthalates, and amines in TRWMPs were quantified, with a total concentration of 6522 ± 1455 ng m (mean ± standard deviation). Phthalates were predominant in TRWMPs, accounting for 64.8% on average, followed by rubbers (33.2%) and benzothiazoles (1.19%). The diurnal variations of TRWMPs showed the highest concentration in Period III (evening rush hour) and the lowest concentration in Period I (morning rush hour), which were not exactly consistent with the variation of the number of light-duty vehicles passed through the tunnel. The result implied that the number of vehicles might not be the most important contributor to TRWMPs concentration, whereas meteorological variables (i.e., precipitation, and relative humidity), vehicle speed, vehicle class, and road cleaning also affected their abundances. The non-carcinogenic risk of TRWMPs in this study was within the international safety threshold, but their carcinogenic risk exceeded the threshold by 2.7-4.6 times, mostly dominated by bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP). This study provides a new basis for the source apportionment of urban PM in China. The high concentrations and high potential cancer risks of TRWMPs represent the requirement for more efficient measures to control light-duty vehicle emissions.
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Researchers conducted the first combined analysis of tire wear microplastics and phthalate chemicals in breathable road dust from Seoul, Korea. They found higher concentrations in industrial areas compared to residential zones, and smaller airborne particles showed different rubber compositions than larger dust, suggesting they come from different wear processes. The study raises concerns about inhalation exposure to tire-derived microplastics and associated chemicals in urban settings.
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Researchers measured tire and road wear microplastics in road dust from eight major Chinese cities. They found the highest concentrations in northern cities like Lanzhou and Xi'an, likely due to drier conditions increasing road friction, with levels ranging from 86 to 175 micrograms per gram. The study also found correlations between these microplastics and markers of cellular damage, suggesting potential health implications from exposure to tire-derived particles in urban road dust.
Tire-additive chemicals and their derivatives in urban road dust: Spatial distributions, exposures, and associations with tire and road wear particles
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Researchers measured tire-related chemicals and tire wear particles in road dust from Hong Kong and Berlin, finding that highway dust contained up to five times more contamination than other road types. Several of these tire-derived chemicals are linked to health risks including hormone disruption and cardiovascular problems, and the study found that people living near busy roads face higher exposure through accidental dust ingestion.
Combined contamination of tire and road wear microplastics with heavy metals in expressway tunnels: occurrence characteristics and risk assessment
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This study found that dust in expressway tunnels contains extremely high levels of tire and road wear microplastics, roughly 10 to 40 times more than dust from other land-use types in the same region. The microplastics inside tunnels also carried elevated levels of heavy metals like zinc and copper. The findings highlight highway tunnels as pollution hotspots where people and the environment face concentrated exposure to tire-derived microplastics and associated metals.
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.
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