We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Tire wear particles in the aquatic environment - A review on generation, analysis, occurrence, fate and effects
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed available science on tire wear particles (TWP) — tiny fragments shed from tires during driving — finding that Europe alone generates over 1.3 million tonnes per year, but critical data on environmental concentrations, transport to waterways, and aquatic toxicity remain too limited for robust ecological risk assessment.
Tire wear particles (TWP), generated from tire material during use on roads have gained increasing attention as part of organic particulate contaminants, such as microplastic, in aquatic environments. The available information on properties and generation of TWP, analytical techniques to determine TWP, emissions, occurrence and behavior and ecotoxicological effects of TWP are reviewed with a focus on surface water as a potential receptor. TWP emissions are traffic related and contribute 5-30% to non-exhaust emissions from traffic. The mass of TWP generated is estimated at 1,327,000 t/a for the European Union, 1,120,000 t/a for the United States and 133,000 t/a for Germany. For Germany, this is equivalent to four times the amount of pesticides used. The mass of TWP ultimately entering the aquatic environment strongly depends on the extent of collection and treatment of road runoff, which is highly variable. For the German highways it is estimated that up to 11,000 t/a of TWP reach surface waters. Data on TWP concentrations in the environment, including surface waters are fragmentary, which is also due to the lack of suitable analytical methods for their determination. Information on TWP properties such as density and size distribution are missing; this hampers assessing the fate of TWP in the aquatic environment. Effects in the aquatic environment may stem from TWP itself or from compounds released from TWP. It is concluded that reliable knowledge on transport mechanism to surface waters, concentrations in surface waters and sediments, effects of aging, environmental half-lives of TWP as well as effects on aquatic organisms are missing. These aspects need to be addressed to allow for the assessment of risk of TWP in an aquatic environment.
More Papers Like This
A scenario-based risk assessment framework for tyre wear particles in European seas
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers built a new risk assessment framework for tire wear particles (TWPs) — tiny plastic and rubber fragments shed from car tires onto roads and into waterways — estimating that 82 million to 1.2 billion TWPs enter European seas annually, with the Mediterranean receiving the heaviest load. While physical particle concentrations appear low, the chemical compounds that leach from tire debris may pose significant ecological risks that current European pollution monitoring frameworks are not equipped to assess.
Tire wear particles in aquatic environments: A systematic review of sources, detection, distribution, and toxicological impacts
AI summary Read the abstract
This systematic review examined tire wear particles — a type of microplastic created as tires wear down on roads — as an emerging water pollutant. These particles wash into rivers and oceans through stormwater runoff and contain toxic chemicals that harm aquatic organisms. Since tire wear is one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution, this is relevant to anyone living near roads or consuming seafood.
Tire wear particles in the marine environment: sources, migration, ecological risk and control strategy
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed the environmental fate of tire wear particles (TWPs) in marine systems, tracing their transport from road surfaces via atmospheric deposition and hydrological flow into seawater, sediments, and marine food webs, and evaluating emerging control strategies including green material engineering and standardized monitoring protocols.
Environmental risks of car tire microplastic particles and other road runoff pollutants
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted the first comprehensive environmental risk assessment of tire wear microplastic particles and their associated chemical pollutants in European road runoff. They found that tire wear particles and several related chemicals pose measurable risks to organisms in surface water and sediment. The study suggests that tire wear is a significant but often overlooked source of microplastic pollution with real consequences for aquatic ecosystems.
What is known and unknown concerning microplastics from tyre wear?
AI summary Read the abstract
This review synthesizes current knowledge on tyre wear particles (TWPs) as a major source of road-traffic microplastics, covering how particle generation, transport pathways, and environmental fate depend on tyre composition, road characteristics, and weather. A key finding is that while TWPs can be identified in environmental samples, quantifying them precisely remains difficult and expensive—a gap that must be closed to accurately assess human and ecological exposure.
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.