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Tire abrasion particles negatively affect plant growth even at low concentrations and alter soil biogeochemical cycling
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Tire wear particles at environmentally relevant concentrations reduced plant growth, lowered seed germination rates, and altered soil nitrogen and carbon cycling biogeochemical processes even at the lowest doses tested, suggesting that tire-derived microplastics pose a real risk to terrestrial plant productivity and ecosystem function.
Abstract Tire particles (TPs) are a major source of microplastic on land, and considering their chemical composition, they represent a potential hazard for the terrestrial environment. We studied the effects of TPs at environmentally relevant concentrations along a wide concentration gradient (0–160 mg g −1 ) and tested the effects on plant growth, soil pH and the key ecosystem process of litter decomposition and soil respiration. The addition of TPs negatively affected shoot and root growth already at low concentrations. Tea litter decomposition slightly increased with lower additions of TPs but decreased later on. Soil pH increased until a TP concentration of 80 mg g −1 and leveled off afterwards. Soil respiration clearly increased with increasing concentration of added TPs. Plant growth was likely reduced with starting contamination and stopped when contamination reached a certain level in the soil. The presence of TPs altered a number of biogeochemical soil parameters that can have further effects on plant performance. Considering the quantities of yearly produced TPs, their persistence, and toxic potential, we assume that these particles will eventually have a significant impact on terrestrial ecosystems.
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Tire abrasion particles negatively affect plant growth even at low concentrations and alter soil biogeochemical cycling
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Researchers found that tire abrasion particles—a major source of microplastic pollution on land—negatively affected plant growth and disrupted soil nutrient cycling even at low concentrations. This is concerning because tire particles are shed in enormous quantities on roads and accumulate in roadside soils where plants grow.
The Influence of Microplastics from Ground Tyres on the Acute, Subchronical Toxicity and Microbial Respiration of Soil
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Researchers assessed the toxicity of ground tire microplastics on soil organisms and microbial respiration, finding subchronic phytotoxicity effects that highlight the environmental risks posed by tire wear particles accumulating in soils.
Tire wear particles: An emerging threat to soil health
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This review examines tire wear particles as an emerging source of soil contamination, finding that these microplastics contain a complex mixture of rubber, metals, and organic chemicals that can harm soil organisms. Researchers highlight that most current studies focus on individual species, which may underestimate the cascading effects on entire soil ecosystems. The study warns that tire wear particles could alter essential soil processes and ecosystem services, representing a significant but underappreciated threat to soil health.
Tire wear particles: An emerging threat to soil health
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This review synthesizes knowledge about tire wear particles — a major but often overlooked source of microplastic-like pollutants — in soil ecosystems. Tire wear particles contain toxic metals and organic compounds that harm soil microbes, invertebrates, and plants, but most research to date has focused on aquatic systems rather than soils.
Tire Wear Particles Inhibit Tomato Growth and Disrupt Rhizosphere Microbial Function
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Scientists found that tiny particles from tire wear can seriously harm tomato plants, reducing their growth by more than half and disrupting the helpful bacteria in soil. The smallest tire particles (100 micrometers) were the most toxic, damaging the plants' ability to photosynthesize and creating harmful stress in their cells. This matters because these tire particles are everywhere in our environment and could reduce crop yields while making soil less healthy for growing the food we eat.
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