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Distribution and accumulation patterns of tire-derived particles in coastal and lake sediments
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Tire and road wear particles (TRWP) — tiny fragments shed every time a vehicle brakes or turns — are among the largest sources of microplastics globally, and this study found them in sediments across 32 of 36 sampling sites in Japanese lakes and coastal waters. Critically, at 30 of those 36 sites, concentrations exceeded levels considered safe for aquatic ecosystems, suggesting widespread ecological risk. The research also found that TRWP tend to travel with fine soil particles and organic matter, offering clues about how these pollutants disperse through river systems and settle in aquatic environments.
Tire and road wear particles (TRWP) are the largest source of microplastics. These particles are generated through friction between tires and road surfaces during use, enter aquatic environments, and may affect aquatic organisms. In this study, TRWP in sediments from 11 different water bodies in Japan were analyzed using pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. TRWP were detected in 32 out of 36 samples, with concentrations up to 4260 µg/g dry weight. TRWP concentrations exceeded the estimated predicted no-effect concentration threshold at 30 out of 36 sites, indicating that potential ecological risks cannot be ruled out. A correlation was found between TRWP concentration and mud content, total organic carbon, or terrestrial organic carbon (terrOC) at sites where mud accumulates. The correlation between TRWP and terrOC was significant even at sites with a notable contribution of marine-derived mud. These findings suggest that TRWP are transported with terrestrial mud and organic matter in aquatic environments. Moreover, sedimentation patterns, as deduced from sediment properties such as mud content and elemental composition, may serve as indicators of TRWP distribution. This study contributes to transport modeling, environmental risk assessments, and development of future pollution control strategies for TRWP.
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Identification of tire and road wear particles in artificial water bodies in Japan
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Tire and road wear particles (TRWPs) — tiny fragments shed when rubber tires contact road surfaces — are a major but often overlooked source of microplastic pollution. Researchers found TRWPs in all four urban regions of Japan they examined, including artificial ponds and water features, with concentrations ranging widely by location and showing signs of weathering over time. Because these artificial water bodies act as retention zones that collect and concentrate road runoff, they may be quietly accumulating tire-derived microplastics that then affect aquatic life.
Review: Micro- and macro-scale transport of tire wear particles in aquatic environments and risk control
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Every time tires wear down on roads, they shed tiny plastic-like particles that eventually wash into rivers, lakes, and oceans. This review pulls together existing research on how these particles settle, travel, and build up in water — a key step in understanding where they end up and how they might affect aquatic life and, potentially, the food and water humans rely on. While it doesn't test new health effects, it lays the groundwork for figuring out how to reduce this widespread but often overlooked source of microplastic pollution.
Tyre and road wear particles from source to sea
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Researchers traced tyre and road wear particles (TRWP) — tiny rubber fragments shed when vehicles brake and turn — from urban roads into marine sediments, finding that softer tyres with more natural rubber shed more particles and that TRWP concentrations drop sharply with distance from cities. Unlike lighter microplastics that drift widely, TRWP sink quickly and accumulate near urban coastlines, threatening nearshore sediment ecosystems.
Tire wear particles in aquatic environments: A systematic review of sources, detection, distribution, and toxicological impacts
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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.
Assessment of fine and coarse tyre wear particles along a highway stormwater system and in receiving waters: Occurrence and transport
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Researchers tracked tire wear particles through a highway stormwater drainage system in Sweden and found contamination at nearly every sampling point, with concentrations reaching up to 17 milligrams per liter in water. A significant portion of the particles were very small, in the 1.6 to 20 micrometer range, which are harder to filter out and more likely to travel long distances. The study highlights that tire wear is a major and often overlooked source of microplastic pollution reaching waterways.
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.