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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.
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 kg-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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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.
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.
Evidence of impact of tire wear particles on a roadside plant community at environmentally relevant concentrations
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This experiment exposed mixed roadside plant communities to tire wear particles (TWPs) — a major source of microplastic pollution near roads — across a wide range of concentrations and found that TWPs shifted competitive dynamics between plant species in ways that were invisible when species were grown alone. One species gained biomass while a neighboring species lost it, suggesting TWPs alter soil chemistry and root interactions rather than simply suppressing all plant growth equally. These subtle community-level effects could erode the ecological value of roadside vegetation over time.
Microplastics pollution in the terrestrial environments: Poorly known diffuse sources and implications for plants
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This review examined poorly understood diffuse sources of microplastic pollution in terrestrial environments, with particular focus on tire and road wear particles in urban areas and the mechanisms by which plants absorb and are affected by microplastics.
Beyond Microplastics: How Tire Wear Particles Influence Plant Performance
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Scientists reviewed research on tiny particles that come off car tires when we drive, which end up in soil everywhere and are different from regular plastic pollution. These tire particles release toxic chemicals that can harm plants by damaging their roots and changing the soil around them, which could affect our food supply. This matters because tire pollution is everywhere but has been overlooked compared to other types of plastic pollution, and we need more research to understand the long-term risks to crops and ecosystems.
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