Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

On-Road Vehicle Measurement of Tire Wear Particle Emissions and Approach for Emission Prediction

An instrumented measurement vehicle was developed to quantify tire wear particle emissions under real-world on-road conditions, identifying key driving parameters such as speed, load, and cornering that govern emission rates. The study supports the development of emission factors and regulatory standards for non-exhaust tire-derived microplastic pollution.

2022 Tire Science and Technology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Realistic evaluation of tire wear particle emissions and their driving factors on different road types

This study measured tire wear particle (TWP) emissions under realistic driving conditions on different road types and identified the key driving factors affecting emission rates. Tire wear particles are a major category of microplastic pollution in road runoff, and this data is needed to estimate their contribution to environmental contamination.

2023
Article Tier 2

Assessing regional emissions of vehicle-based tire wear particle from macro-to micro/nano-scales with pandemic lockdowns and electromobility scenarios implications

Researchers developed a data-driven probabilistic model to estimate regional tire wear particle emissions across different land use scenarios, incorporating vehicle fleet data, driving patterns, and emission factors. Modeling suggested that tire wear particles represent a substantial and underappreciated pathway for microplastic entry into the atmosphere, with implications for both human health and environmental policy.

2022 Chemosphere 15 citations
Review Tier 2

Vehicle Emission Models and Traffic Simulators: A Review

This review surveys vehicle emission models and traffic simulation tools used to estimate air pollution from road traffic. While focused on exhaust emissions, the methods discussed are relevant to understanding non-exhaust pollution like tire wear microplastics, which are released in large quantities from vehicle tires. Better emission modeling could help quantify the full scope of traffic-related microplastic pollution in urban areas.

2023 Energies 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive approach to national tire wear emissions: Challenges and implications

Researchers developed a comprehensive approach to estimate national tire wear emissions, which are a major source of microplastics in the environment. They found that increasing vehicle weight due to electrification trends and growing traffic volumes are driving higher emissions, while no regulations currently exist for tire wear. The study provides methods needed for tracking changes in tire-related microplastic pollution and supporting future environmental impact assessments.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Modelled atmospheric concentration of tyre wear in an urban environment

Researchers modeled airborne concentrations of tire wear particles — tiny plastic-containing fragments released when vehicle tires rub against road surfaces — across Stockholm, finding that these microplastic particles are widespread in cities and make up 4–6% of total air particle pollution, with concentrations highest near busy highways and in narrow street canyons.

2023 Atmospheric Environment X 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of Vehicle Tire and Road Wear Particles’ Size Distribution and Influencing Factors Examined via Laboratory Test

Researchers conducted laboratory tests to characterize the size distribution of tire and road wear particles under various conditions. The study found that factors such as driving speed, tire composition, and road surface characteristics significantly influence the size and quantity of wear particles released, which are a growing source of microplastic pollution.

2024 Atmosphere 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Static modelling of the material flows of micro- and nanoplastic particles caused by the use of vehicle tyres

Researchers modeled the flow of tyre wear particles in Austria, finding that about 6% of tyre rubber is released as wear particles into the environment each year, with emissions entering air, soil, and surface water. The study estimated that of the 21,200 tonnes released annually, about 6% are microscale particles and 0.3% are nanoscale, and concluded that reducing overall vehicle mileage would be the most effective way to cut these emissions.

2021 Environmental Pollution 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Concentrations of tire wear microplastics and other traffic-derived non-exhaust particles in the road environment

Researchers measured actual environmental concentrations of tire wear microplastics and other traffic-derived non-exhaust particles in a rural highway setting, providing field-based data to complement the theoretical estimates that dominate current literature.

2022 Environment International 153 citations
Article Tier 2

A parametrized and regionalized TRWP inventory model for LCA

This study developed a parametrized and regionalized inventory model for tire and road wear particles for use in life cycle assessment, addressing the limitations of current emission factor estimates that do not capture regional differences in vehicle use and road conditions. The model provides more accurate and geographically resolved TRWP emission estimates for environmental impact accounting.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Tire Abrasion as a Major Source of Microplastics in the Environment

This study analyzed tire wear particles as a major source of microplastics in the environment, estimating that tire abrasion contributes a substantial fraction of total microplastic emissions globally and highlighting road runoff as a key delivery pathway to waterways.

2018 Aerosol and Air Quality Research 582 citations
Article Tier 2

A parametrized and regionalized TRWP inventory model for LCA

This study developed a parametrized and regionalized inventory model for tire and road wear particle emissions for use in life cycle assessment, improving on existing models that use generic emission factors that do not capture regional differences in vehicle fleets and road types. The model enables more geographically accurate TRWP emission estimates for inclusion in environmental footprint calculations.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Tire Wear and Pollutants: An Overview of Research

This review provides an overview of tire road and wear particles as a major source of microplastic emissions, examining both experimental and mathematical approaches to measuring tire wear. The study notes that while tire wear particles are found in alarming amounts across various environments, they remain less studied than other microplastics, and calls for more accurate simulation models to predict tire wear emissions.

2023 Archives of Advanced Engineering Science 30 citations
Article Tier 2

An estimation of tire and road wear particles emissions in surface water based on a conceptual framework

Researchers developed a conceptual framework to estimate emissions of tire and road wear particles (TRWPs) into surface water, identifying them as a dominant source of microplastic contamination in freshwater environments globally.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 23 citations
Article Tier 2

What is known and unknown concerning microplastics from tyre wear?

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.

2023 Road Materials and Pavement Design 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Vehicle Emission Models and Traffic Simulators: A Review

This review covers vehicle emission models and traffic simulation tools used to estimate air pollution from road traffic. While not directly about microplastics, vehicle emissions include tire and brake wear particles that are a major source of microplastics in urban environments. Better emission modeling helps researchers understand the full scope of pollution, including microplastic-generating particulate matter, from transportation.

2023 Preprints.org 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamic probabilistic material flow analysis of rubber release from tires into the environment

A dynamic material flow analysis model estimated the annual and cumulative release of rubber from vehicle tires into the environment via road wear, finding that tire rubber represents a substantial fraction of total microplastic pollution in terrestrial and aquatic systems. The study helps quantify this important but often overlooked microplastic source.

2019 Environmental Pollution 184 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the mechanism secret of abrasion emissions of particulate matter and microplastics

Researchers investigated the physical and chemical mechanisms driving particulate matter and microplastic emissions from tire abrasion and other organic material wear, a major but poorly understood source of airborne and marine microplastics. The study identified key abrasion mechanisms and material properties that govern emission rates, providing a foundation for reducing non-exhaust traffic-related microplastic pollution.

2024 Scientific Reports 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Contribution of Road Vehicle Tyre Wear to Microplastics and Ambient Air Pollution

This review finds that tire wear from road vehicles contributes one-third to one-half of all microplastics released unintentionally into the environment, with passenger cars generating about 110 milligrams per kilometer driven. Most tire particles end up in soil, but a portion becomes airborne, contributing 5-30% of road transport particulate matter emissions. Since the smallest tire particles can be inhaled, this is a significant and often overlooked source of daily microplastic exposure for people living near roads.

2024 Sustainability 107 citations
Article Tier 2

Tyre Wear Particles: Emissions and Distribution in Soil and Stormwater Systems in Near Road Environments

Researchers conducted a multi-scale investigation of tyre wear particle emissions in Sweden, characterizing their distribution in roadside ditches and stormwater systems and developing a national emissions estimation methodology using vehicle-specific factors. Passenger cars were identified as the largest contributor at 55% of total tyre wear particle emissions, and the study evaluated the effectiveness of selected mitigation strategies.

2025