We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Determination of tire wear markers in soil samples and their distribution in a roadside soil
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a thermal extraction method to measure tire wear particles in roadside soil, finding concentrations up to 15,898 mg/kg with most particles accumulating in the topsoil within 2 meters of the road surface.
Tire wear (TW) constitutes a significant source of microplastic in terrestrial ecosystems. It is known that particles emitted by roads can have an effect up to 100 m into adjacent areas. Here, we apply for the first-time thermal extraction desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TED-GC/MS) to determine TW in soil samples by detection of thermal decomposition products of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), without additional enrichment. Additionally, zinc contents were determined as an elemental marker for TW. Mixed soil samples were taken along three transects along a German motorway in 0.3, 2.0, and 5.0 m distance from the road. Sampling depths were 0-2, 2-5, 5-10, and 10-20 cm. Four fine fractions, 1 000-500, 500-100, 100-50, and <50 μm, were analyzed. TW contents based on SBR ranged from 155 to 15 898 mg kg-1. TW contents based on zinc were between 413 and 44 812 mg kg-1. Comparison of individual values of SBR and zinc reveals SBR as a more specific marker. Results confirm that most TW ends up in the topsoil within a 2 m distance. The sampling strategy resulted in representative data for a larger area. Standard deviations of quadruple TED-GC/MS determination of SBR were <10% for all grain size fractions. TED-GC/MS is a suitable analytical tool for determining TW in soil samples without the use of toxic chemicals, enrichment, or special sample preparation.
More Papers Like This
Tracks of travel: unveiling tire particle concentrations in Swiss cantonal road soils
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers quantified tire wear particle concentrations in roadside soils along fifteen Swiss cantonal roads with relatively low traffic volumes. They found average concentrations of 111,000 particles per kilogram of dry soil, with particle counts and sizes decreasing with increasing distance from the road. The study also found positive relationships between tire wear particle numbers and associated pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace metals.
Tire and road wear particles in soils: from roadside soil to widespread impregnation
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers measured tire and road wear particle (TRWP) concentrations across roadside and distant soils, finding contamination drops sharply beyond 20 meters but that over 60% of the regional TRWP pool resides more than 20 meters from any road, revealing that background soil impregnation — not roadside accumulation — dominates the terrestrial TRWP burden.
Impregnation levels and gradient of tire wear particle content of surface soils adjacent to a major road
AI summary Read the abstract
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.
Development and application of an analytical method for the quantification of tire wear in atmospheric deposition
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a lab method that measures tiny particles of worn tire rubber in dust collected from the air, using chemical markers released when samples are heated. Testing it on real outdoor samples near a busy road and a quieter suburban area, they found roughly three times more tire particles settling near the road.
Concentrations of tire wear microplastics and other traffic-derived non-exhaust particles in the road environment
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers measured actual environmental concentrations of tire wear microplastics and other traffic-derived non-exhaust particles in a rural highway setting, providing field-based data to complement the theoretical estimates that dominate current literature.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.