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Tracking the source: First evidence of Benzothiazoles in outdoor airport aerosol
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Researchers detected chemical compounds called benzothiazoles — used as additives in rubber tires and released when tires wear down — for the first time in outdoor air samples collected at Milan's Linate airport, linking them to aircraft tire abrasion during landings and takeoffs. The findings identify airports as an overlooked source of tire wear microplastic particles and associated toxic chemicals in the atmosphere.
The aviation sector is crucial to support worldwide connections, and it is esteemed to grow in the following years. Monitoring of aviation pollution has gained importance, but poor attention is brought to the chemical composition of non-exhaust emissions such as Tire Wear Particles (TWPs), produced after the abrasion of tires with the road pavement. TWPs can end up in water, soil, and air, resulting in a great source of microplastics. Not only, TWPs can transport and release rubber additives like Benzothiazoles (BTHs), a wide family of organic molecules used in rubber production. BTHs have been exploited as chemical markers to trace non-exhaust road traffic emissions, however, to the best of our knowledge no studies researched BTHs in airborne aircraft TWPs. This is a great gap in literature considering the great estimated amount of TWPs produced by aircrafts. BTHs were investigated for the first time in the outdoor PM 10 of Milano Linate airport together with other chemical markers (major ions, carboxylic acids). The airport appears to be an important source of BTHs, especially BTH, BTH-NH 2 , BTH-MeS, and BTH-SO 3 H, and the aerosol composition appears like those of highly trafficked cities. A weekly trend was observed, and a strong link between BTH-NH 2 and BTH-SO 3 H was noticed, suggesting a connection with the airport activities. A chemometric approach was also applied, and three major clusters were identified: one was attributed to the airplanes/airport vehicles' activity; one was linked to the airport de/anti-icing procedures; the last was related to a median-range transport and secondary atmospheric reactions. • Airport is a major source of Benzothiazoles in outdoor atmospheric PM 10 . • Strong correlation between BTH-SO 3 H and BTH-NH 2 suggest a linked to airport activity. • BTH, found sporadically, appears to derive from the airport area. • HCA identified three clusters, two linked to airport and one to medium range transport.
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Quantification and occurrence of 39 tire-related chemicals in urban and rural aerosol from Saxony, Germany.
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Researchers quantified 39 tire-related chemicals in urban and rural aerosol samples from two German cities, finding that tire and road wear particles contribute a diverse mixture of organic chemicals — including toxic benzothiazoles and p-phenylenediamines — to urban air. The study establishes that tire particles are a significant source of chemical contamination in city air, with implications for human inhalation exposure.
Assessment of tire wear emission in a road tunnel, using benzothiazoles as tracer in tunnel wash water
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Researchers developed a methodology to quantify tire wear emissions in a road tunnel using benzothiazoles — chemical components of tire rubber — as tracers in tunnel wash water. The approach offers a practical way to estimate how much tire particle pollution, a major source of microplastics, is generated on busy road corridors.
Chemical tracers for assessing the contribution of tire wear particles in atmospheric aerosol: analytical approaches, challenges and future perspectives
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Every time your car's tires grip the road, they shed tiny plastic particles that become part of the air pollution you breathe, and this can account for more air pollution than what comes out of your tailpipe. This review paper looks at the scientific methods used to detect these tire particles in air pollution and finds that there's currently no reliable single test for them, meaning scientists still need better tools to figure out exactly how much of the air we breathe contains this tire-derived microplastic pollution and its associated chemicals. This matters because until we can accurately measure it, it's hard to fully assess the health risks these particles and their leaching chemicals may pose.
About the variability of tire and road wear marker components in air: from emissions to atmospheric deposition
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Scientists developed a new method to track tiny particles that come from car tires wearing down on roads, which are now recognized as one of the biggest sources of microplastic pollution worldwide. They found these tire particles can travel far from roads through the air and change into different chemicals, including some that may be harmful. This matters because these airborne tire particles could pose risks to human health and the environment, but we're just starting to understand how much is actually in the air we breathe.
Characterisation and Source Identification of Atmosphericmicro/nanoplastics in Hong Kong
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Scientists measured tiny plastic particles floating in the air around Hong Kong's airport and found that airplane tires create significant amounts of these airborne microplastics during takeoffs and landings. This matters because we breathe in these microscopic plastic pieces, and while we don't fully understand the long-term health effects yet, reducing our exposure to airborne plastics is likely important for protecting our lungs and overall health. This is the first study to track these air pollution sources in Hong Kong, helping us better understand where breathing in plastic particles comes from in our daily lives.
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