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Management-Oriented Modelling of Tire and Road Wear Particle Fate and Transport in the Terrestrial and Freshwater Environment with a Global Perspective
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Researchers developed a spatially explicit catchment-scale model to estimate tire and road wear particle (TRWP) fate and transport in terrestrial and freshwater environments globally, finding that climate-driven hydrology causes dramatic variation in estuarine export rates — from 2% in France's Seine watershed to 18% in Japan's Yodo River watershed.
Tire and road wear particles (TRWPs) are formed at the frictional interface of the tire and road surface and consist of polymer-containing tread with pavement mineral and binder encrustations. Their detection in various environmental compartments globally sparks increasing societal and regulatory interest. Solid quantitative information as a basis for managing and mitigating TRWPs in the environment is lacking however. This paper presents and demonstrates a model approach that produces catchment-scale terrestrial and aquatic TRWP mass balances anywhere in the world. A spatially and temporally explicit modelling method was used that builds on publicly available global datasets and process-based open-source modelling frameworks to describe hydrological processes, TRWP releases, fate and transport under a wide range of climatic conditions. High-resolution (<1 km) models were implemented and evaluated by demonstrating consistency with available field data for three watersheds on different continents. The approach provides comprehensive mass balances to underpin management of TRWPs that account for socio-economic, climate, geography and stormwater management gradients. Case study results revealed strong climate-induced differences: the fraction of vehicle-generated TRWPs exported to the estuarine environment varied between 2% (Seine watershed, France) to 18% (Yodo River watershed, Japan), corresponding to an increase in the fraction released to freshwater ecosystems from 20% to 36%, respectively. The modelling framework provides a consistent comparison between watersheds across the world. Limitations of the approach are its lack of local details and the uncertainties stemming from the still-developing scientific knowledge base.
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