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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Traffic Intensity as a Factor Influencing Microplastic and Tire Wear Particle Pollution in Snow Accumulated on Urban Roads
ClearTraffic Intensity as a Factor Influencing Microplastic and Tire Wear Particle Pollution in Snow Accumulated on Urban Roads
This study examined how traffic volume influences microplastic and tire wear particle (TWP) concentrations in snow accumulated on urban roads in a medium-sized Polish city. Higher traffic intensity corresponded with significantly greater microplastic and TWP concentrations, confirming roads as major point sources of synthetic particle pollution in urban snowpack.
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.
Occurrence of tire and road wear particles in urban and peri-urban snowbanks, and their potential environmental implications
Researchers analyzed urban and peri-urban snowbanks in Norway and found significant concentrations of tire and road wear particles, confirming roads as a major source of microplastic pollution. The study is among the first to measure mass concentrations of these particles in snow, providing important data on how they accumulate and are transported in cold climates. The findings suggest that snowmelt may carry substantial loads of tire-derived microplastics into waterways each spring.
Microplastics (MPs) in urban roadside snowbanks: Quantities, size fractions and dynamics of release
Tire wear particles and road wear particles were found to dominate microplastic contamination in urban roadside snowbanks in northern Sweden, with MPs detected across multiple size fractions. The study documented a large pulse of MP release when snowbanks melt in spring, identifying snowmelt as a seasonal point source of microplastics entering urban waterways.
Micro and Nano Pollutants from Tires and Car Brakes Generated in Winter Season in the Poznan City Urban Environment
Tire and brake pad wear from vehicles releases rubber particles and metal-oxide pollutants at the micro and nanoscale into the urban environment, with snow deposits in Poznan, Poland found to contain rubber residues smaller than 2 micrometers. These non-exhaust traffic emissions represent a significant and often overlooked pathway for microplastic and metal pollution in cities, with implications for urban air, soil, and water quality.
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.
Relevance of tyre wear particles to the total content of microplastics transported by runoff in a high-imperviousness and intense vehicle traffic urban area.
Researchers characterized microplastics and tire wear particles (TWPs) transported by urban stormwater runoff in a highly impervious catchment, finding that TWPs made up a substantial fraction of the total microplastic load in sediments of a stormwater detention reservoir. The study underscores the contribution of road traffic to microplastic pollution entering waterways.
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.
Microplastics and tyre wear particles in urban runoff from different urban surfaces
Researchers measured microplastics and tire wear particles in stormwater runoff from roads, parking lots, and rooftops in Sweden. They found that road runoff carried the highest concentrations by far, with large variations between rainfall events. The findings highlight urban roads as a major source of microplastic pollution entering nearby waterways through stormwater.
Occurrence of tire and bitumen wear microplastics on urban streets and in sweepsand and washwater
Tire tread wear and bitumen particles were the dominant anthropogenic microplastics found on urban roads and in sweeping waste and stormwater in a Norwegian study, with concentrations up to 2,561 particles per liter in road dust samples. Street sweeping removed significant quantities of these particles, and sodium iodide density separation proved effective for their analytical isolation.
Trafikrelaterade föroreningar i urban snö : Koncentrationer, storleksfördelning och spridning vid snösmältning
This Swedish study found that urban snowbanks accumulate traffic-related pollutants — including microplastics, metals, and organic compounds — which are released in concentrated pulses when snow melts in spring, posing risks to urban waterways.
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.
Occurrence and risk associated with urban road-deposited microplastics
Researchers collected and analyzed microplastics deposited on urban roads and found average concentrations ranging from 0.33 to 3.64 grams per square meter, with significant variation based on land use and particle size. Road-deposited microplastics were mainly fibers and fragments from tire wear and textile sources, and their risk assessment indicated moderate ecological concern. The study provides new insights into how different urban environments contribute to microplastic pollution through road runoff.
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.
Types and concentrations of tire wear particles (TWPs) in road dust generated in slow lanes.
Road dust samples collected near traffic lights contained tire wear particles (TWPs), with the concentration and size distribution varying by location and traffic direction. Tire wear is one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution in urban environments, and these particles are carried into waterways by stormwater runoff.
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.
Is road pavement wear a source of microplastics in stormwater runoff?
This study investigated whether road pavement wear is a measurable source of microplastics in stormwater runoff, distinct from the better-characterized tire wear contribution. Pavement-derived particles were identified in stormwater samples, confirming that road surface material itself contributes to microplastic loading in urban runoff alongside tire wear and other sources.
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.
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.
Measures to reduce the spread of microplastic particles from tyre wear : On vehicles, on the road and in the roadside environment
Researchers reviewed measures to reduce the spread of microplastic particles from tyre wear at the vehicle, road, and roadside environment levels, examining the transport pathways via air, water, and snow and the risks these persistent, potentially toxic particles pose to ecosystems and human health.
Are we underestimating stormwater? Stormwater as a significant source of microplastics in surface waters
This review highlights stormwater runoff as a major but underestimated source of microplastic pollution in rivers and lakes. Tire and road wear particles, litter, and road dust are the primary sources, with concentrations varying widely depending on rainfall and land use. The findings matter because stormwater often receives less treatment than sewage, meaning large amounts of microplastics flow directly into the waterways that communities use for drinking water and recreation.
Snow dumping station – A considerable source of tyre wear, microplastics, and heavy metal pollution
Researchers investigated microplastic and tire wear particle pollution in snow from dumping stations in Riga, Latvia, and found substantially higher contamination levels in urban areas compared to remote reference sites. The study identified tire wear particles as a major contributor, with microplastic concentrations reaching up to 2,549 particles per liter of melted snow, highlighting snow dumping stations as a notable source of waterway pollution.
Particles of synthetic polymers in fresh snow in the northwest of the Kola peninsula in 2020–2021
Researchers analyzed fresh snow samples collected along and away from highways in the northwest Kola Peninsula between December 2020 and April 2021 for the presence of synthetic polymer particles absorbed from the atmosphere by snow crystals. The study detected microplastic particles in snow from both roadside and remote locations, confirming atmospheric deposition of synthetic polymers in a subarctic region and identifying traffic as a contributing but not exclusive source.
A survey of metal contaminants in an urban snow disposal facility
This paper is not about microplastics; it surveys heavy metal contamination levels in an urban snow disposal site in Canada, using roadside snow as a proxy for automobile traffic-related metal pollution.