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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics from road markings in the presence of tyre wear – a laboratory test method development
ClearMicroplastics from road markings in the presence of tyre wear – a laboratory test method development
Researchers developed an analytical procedure combining a temperature gradient method and ICP-OES to distinguish road marking wear from tyre wear particles, validating it on a wear simulator and finding that glass beads in road markings act protectively, delaying microplastic release, and that emissions vary enormously across different road marking materials.
Microplastics from road markings: the loss of drop-on glass beads as a signal of emissions
Researchers investigated microplastic emissions from road marking abrasion under controlled laboratory conditions, finding that glass beads applied to road marking surfaces play a protective role that reduces MP loss in field conditions, with results quantifying drop-on bead loss as a signal of emission rates.
Microplastics and road markings: the role of glass beads and loss estimation
Field and laboratory assessment of road marking wear found that retroreflectivity failures cause markings to be renewed before plastic-bearing paint layers are significantly abraded, resulting in microplastic emissions of only 0.1 to 4.3 g/person/year at most locations -- far below previously reported estimates.
Environmental transport and sorting of glass retroreflective microbeads and their potential as proxies for road marking paints
Researchers analyzed the concentration, sorting, and transport of glass retroreflective microbeads used in road marking paints across environmental samples, testing their potential as proxies for road paint microplastic emissions. Retroreflective microbeads were found in environmental samples and showed transport patterns consistent with being road-marking-derived, providing a novel tracer for this undercharacterized source of road-associated microplastic pollution.
Erosion of road markings in Croatia and estimate of contribution to microplastic pollution
Researchers quantified the erosion of road markings across Croatia to estimate their contribution to microplastic pollution. By surveying markings of various types and ages, they found measurable losses of material that translate into significant microplastic emissions over time. The study suggests that road marking wear is an overlooked but meaningful source of microplastic contamination in the environment.
Reply to road markings and microplastics- a critical literature review
Researchers responded to a review that dismissed road markings as a microplastic source, arguing the absence of detections in environmental samples reflects the extreme analytical difficulty of identifying road marking materials — not their actual absence — and calling for more consistent reporting standards across microplastic studies.
Thermoplastic road markings – Description and microplastic pollution estimate in Sweden
Researchers in Sweden measured wear loss at 126 pedestrian crossings to estimate how much microplastic pollution comes from thermoplastic road markings, finding that road markings contribute up to 231 tonnes per year nationally (up to 22 grams per person per year). Road markings are an underappreciated but quantifiable source of microplastics that wash from roads into stormwater and waterways, and choosing binders without polymeric components can significantly reduce this.
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.
Adapting Methods for Isolation and Enumeration of Microplastics to Quantify Tire Road Wear Particles with Confirmation by Pyrolysis GC–MS
Researchers adapted microplastic analysis methods for isolating and counting tire road wear particles from environmental samples, a challenging task due to the varied composition and density of these particles. They found that alkaline digestions are compatible with tire rubber but hydrogen peroxide can damage the particles, and developed visual criteria to distinguish tire particles from bitumen. The adapted methods were validated with road dust samples and confirmed by electron microscopy and pyrolysis mass spectrometry.
Microplastics in road dust – characteristics, pathways and measures
Researchers reviewed the sources, characteristics, and transport pathways of road dust-associated microplastic particles (RAMP), identifying tyre wear rubber, polymer-modified bitumen, and thermoplastic road marking paints as the main contributors. The study found significant data gaps regarding the fate of RAMP in stormwater runoff and wastewater treatment systems.
Sustainable road markings for sustainable urban mobility – selection guidelines based on environmental and durability parameters
Researchers developed selection guidelines for sustainable road marking materials based on environmental and durability parameters, comparing conventional materials including thermoplastics and paints that shed microplastics against lower-impact alternatives for urban mobility infrastructure. The guidelines aim to help municipalities balance safety requirements such as high friction surfaces with reduced environmental pollution from road marking wear.
Field Study of Pedestrian Crossings Deterioration Over Time: Assessment of Microplastics Emission from Road Markings
Researchers conducted a field study of pedestrian crossing deterioration in Croatia to assess microplastic emissions from road marking abrasion over time. They found that markings used beyond their functional service life underwent significant material loss, releasing microplastic particles into the surrounding environment. The study quantifies how road infrastructure maintenance gaps directly contribute to microplastic pollution.
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.
Methods for laboratory-generation and physico-chemical characterisation of tyre wear particles
Researchers developed a lab method to generate tire wear particles using a friction machine and then identified a suite of chemical compounds that could serve as reliable markers for detecting these particles in environmental samples. Tire wear is one of the largest single sources of microplastic pollution globally, yet quantifying it in the environment has been hampered by the lack of agreed marker compounds. This work lays groundwork for standardized monitoring of tire particle pollution in soils and waterways.
Road Markings for Reliable Visual Guidance and Sustainability
This study examines road marking materials from the perspective of durability, visibility for both human drivers and machine vision, and environmental sustainability. Researchers used field and laboratory data to evaluate the carbon footprint of different marking materials over their full lifecycle, including repeated applications. The study also addresses microplastic emissions from road markings, finding that earlier theoretical estimates may have been inaccurate based on newer experimental results.
Features of the highway road network that generate or retain tyre wear particles
This study analyzed highway road network features that contribute to tyre wear particle generation and retention, finding that road curvature, gradient, and surface texture are key factors influencing where tyre-derived microplastics accumulate along road corridors.
Quantification of tire tread wear particles in microparticles produced on the road using oleamide as a novel marker
A novel analytical method using oleamide, a compound incorporated into tire rubber for processing purposes, as a chemical marker was developed and validated to quantify tire tread wear particles in road microparticle samples, offering improved specificity over existing benzothiazole-based approaches for source attribution of tire-derived microplastics.
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.
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.
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.
Chemical mapping of tire and road wear particles for single particle analysis
Tire and road wear particles (TRWP), which contain rubber polymer and pavement material, were chemically mapped using laser ablation-ICP-MS for single particle analysis. The technique enabled characterization of trace element distributions within individual TRWP particles, improving understanding of their environmental fate alongside conventional microplastics.
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.
Microplastics in road dust: A practical guide for identification and characterisation
This paper provides a practical guide for identifying and characterizing microplastics found in road dust. Researchers reviewed current detection methods including spectroscopy and microscopy, and highlighted newer techniques that offer faster and more cost-effective analysis. The guide aims to help standardize how scientists study road dust microplastics, which primarily come from tire wear and plastic litter breakdown.
Microplastic and tyre wear particles at a highway: a case study from Norway
Researchers characterized microplastics including tyre wear particles across air, road runoff, and road dust near a heavily trafficked Norwegian highway using µFTIR and Py-GC/MS, finding the highest MP concentrations in road dust (up to 4250 counts per square meter) and the highest tyre wear particle concentrations in road dust and road runoff. The results showed that road runoff and road dust better reflected local traffic emissions while airborne MPs were more influenced by atmospheric transport.