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Urban wash-off of tire wear particles

Journal of Hydrology 2026 Score: 50 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Hannah Hapich, Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Hannah Hapich, Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Hannah Hapich, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Hannah Hapich, Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Benjamin Maurer, Benjamin Maurer, Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Hannah Hapich, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Ben Maurer, Benjamin Maurer, Benjamin Maurer, Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Benjamin Maurer, Benjamin Maurer, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Benjamin Maurer, Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Zhaoqing Yang, Kryss Waldschläger Zhaoqing Yang, Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Benjamin Maurer, Ben Maurer, Tim van Emmerik, Andrew B. Gray, Tim van Emmerik, Zhaoqing Yang, Andrew B. Gray, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Benjamin Maurer, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Kryss Waldschläger Kryss Waldschläger Ben Maurer, Zhaoqing Yang, Benjamin Maurer, Ben Maurer, Ben Maurer, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Tim van Emmerik, Benjamin Maurer, Kryss Waldschläger

Summary

Researchers used a rainfall simulator to study how tire wear particles, an important class of microplastics, are washed off road surfaces during storm events. They found that low surface roughness, high rainfall intensity, and low slope produced the fastest and most complete mobilization of tire wear particles. The study reveals that larger tire particles moved faster than smaller ones, and flow depth was the most important factor governing wash-off behavior.

Polymers
rubber
Study Type Environmental

• Like mineral sediment, TWP wash-off increases with low roughness and high rainfall. • Unlike mineral sediment, TWP wash-off increases with low slope and larger particles. • Mobilized large TWPs (>1000 µm) moved faster than small particles (<125 µm) • Flow depth most important parameter governing TWP wash-off. Tire wear particles (TWPs) are an important class of microplastics due to their toxicity and abundance. Because most TWPs are generated on impervious road surfaces, urban wash-off is the critical first phase of waterborne transport from their zone of production to stormwater drainage. However, little is known about the driving factors behind their mobilization. In this study, we use a rainfall simulator to investigate how surface roughness, rainfall intensity, and surface slope affect wash-off behaviors of TWPs. We also analyze how the size and shape of mobilized TWPs change over the course of simulated storm events. We found that low surface roughness, high rainfall intensity (most significant factor), and low slope result in the most rapid conveyance of TWP load. On average, large particles (>1000 µm) travelled faster than small particles (<125 µm). Particle shape explained a very small amount of variance in TWP wash-off velocity but was found to be more important under higher surface roughness conditions. In addition to wash-off velocity, we found similar conditions controlled the percent mobilization of TWPs. Low surface roughness and high rainfall intensity resulting in higher TWP wash-off rates is consistent with mineral sediment wash-off behavior. Conversely, low surface slope and large particle size leading to faster conveyance is directly opposed to mineral sediment wash-off. Our findings suggest drag-dominated flow, and that sufficient runoff depth is the most important parameter governing TWP wash-off. These findings are important first steps to understanding wash-off behaviors of TWPs and informing future modeling efforts and mitigation strategies.

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