Papers

20 results
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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

Tyre wear particles: an abundant yet widely unreported microplastic?

Researchers collected tire wear particles from roadside drains and natural environments near a major UK road, finding that these particles are abundant and widespread yet frequently undetected in environmental monitoring, suggesting tyre wear is a major but under-reported microplastic source.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 317 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastics from tyre and road wear A literature review

This literature review examines microplastics generated from tire and road wear, identifying road traffic as a significant but often overlooked source of plastic pollution in urban runoff and waterways. The authors assess what is known about tire particle composition, environmental fate, and potential ecological effects.

2020 KTH Publication Database DiVA (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) 32 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

Microplastic and tyre wear particles at a highway: a case study from Norway

Researchers monitored microplastics and tire wear particles (tiny rubber fragments shed by vehicles) in air, road runoff, and road dust along a busy Norwegian highway, finding the highest concentrations in road dust and the lowest in air. The study demonstrates that traffic is a major source of microplastic pollution across multiple environmental pathways.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Article Tier 2

Characterisation and spatial distribution of tyre wear particles in Swedish highway snow: Loads into roadside ditches and risk of emissions with snowmelt

Researchers measured tire wear particles (TWPs) — a major but underappreciated source of microplastic pollution — in snow alongside a Swedish highway and found concentrations up to 1,300 mg/L, with particles decreasing in concentration farther from the road. Because large amounts of TWPs can be rapidly released into waterways when snow melts, the study calls for better snow management practices to prevent this pulse of microplastic contamination.

2025 Environmental Challenges 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Pollution from Transport: Detection of Tyre Particles in Environmental Samples

This study reviews tyre wear particles as a major but underestimated source of microplastic pollution from road transport, describing methods for detecting these particles in environmental samples including road dust, waterways, and soils. The authors call for greater regulatory attention to tyre-derived emissions alongside other transport-related pollutants.

2022 Energies 41 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A review of rubber tyre derived micro- and nanoplastics: fate, impact and risks

This systematic review examines microplastics generated from rubber tire wear, which are a major but often overlooked source of microplastic pollution. Tire particles spread through air, stormwater, and wastewater to contaminate both land and water. This is an important human health concern because tire-derived microplastics contain toxic chemicals and are found in the air people breathe and the water they drink.

2025 Environmental Geotechnics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental risks of car tire microplastic particles and other road runoff pollutants

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.

2021 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 133 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification, classification and quantification of microplastics in road dust and stormwater

Researchers identified and quantified microplastics in road dust and stormwater, finding significantly higher concentrations in industrial areas compared to residential zones, with tire wear particles and polyethylene fragments being the most common types.

2022 Chemosphere 80 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

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

Assessment of fine and coarse tyre wear particles along a highway stormwater system and in receiving waters: Occurrence and transport

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.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Mitigation of Suspendable Road Dust in a Subpolar, Oceanic Climate

Tire and road wear particles (TRWP), a major source of microplastics in waterways, are especially abundant in cold climates where studded tires are common. This study assessed road dust generation and found that traffic volume and road surface conditions are key drivers of TRWP pollution.

2021 Sustainability 13 citations
Article Tier 2

[Black microplastics in the environment: Origin, transport and risk of tire wear particles].

This review examines the origin, environmental transport, and health risks of tire wear particles (TWP) — black microplastics shed from vehicle tires — which disperse widely into air, soil, rivers, and food chains as vehicle ownership increases.

2022 PubMed 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of road vehicle tyre wear on microplastics in a high-traffic university for sustainable transportation

Researchers examined microplastic pollution from tire wear in a high-traffic university environment. The study found that microplastic concentrations correlated with traffic patterns, peaking on weekdays and declining on weekends, with irregularly shaped black particles composed primarily of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polybutadiene dominating the samples, along with metal contaminants concentrated near the main entrance.

2024 Environmental Pollution 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Tire wear particles in different water environments: occurrence, behavior, and biological effects—a review and perspectives

This review examines tire wear particles, a major but often overlooked source of microplastics in water environments. Tire particles release toxic chemicals as they break down in water and can harm aquatic organisms, but most research has focused only on the chemical leachate rather than the particles themselves. Since tire wear contributes a large share of total microplastic pollution, understanding its full impact on water ecosystems and the food chain is important for human health.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental occurrence, fate, impact, and potential solution of tire microplastics: Similarities and differences with tire wear particles

This review examines tire microplastics, one of the most abundant types of microplastics in the environment, which come from tire wear on roads, recycled tire rubber, and tire repair dust. These particles carry a complex mix of chemicals including heavy metals and organic pollutants that can harm aquatic and soil organisms. Since tire microplastics end up in waterways and soil near roads, they represent a significant but often overlooked source of human microplastic exposure.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 259 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of traffic-related micro- and nanoplastic concentrations at three urban locations

Researchers measured airborne tire and road wear particles (microplastics shed from vehicle tires) at a busy urban road, a highway, and a park, finding rubber particle concentrations were 2-5 times higher near traffic compared to the park, with levels closely tracking other traffic pollutants like black carbon.

2025 Atmospheric Environment 5 citations
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