Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Plastic additives as tracers of microplastic sources in Japanese road dusts

Road dust from three Japanese cities contained 68 to 230 microplastic pieces per kilogram, with PVC, polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, and polyester making up the majority. Chemical additives found in road microplastics could be matched to specific plastic products like road markings, suggesting that additive profiles can identify the sources of road-derived microplastic pollution.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 148 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Chemosphere 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Road dust-associated microplastics as a carrier of plastic additives in urban small-scale river sediment

Researchers analyzed microplastics and 56 plastic-derived chemicals in road dust, stormwater, and urban river sediments in Kumamoto, Japan. They found that road dust-associated microplastics, including tire wear particles and polyethylene terephthalate, were transferred to river sediments via stormwater, acting as carriers of plastic-derived chemical additives at concentrations up to 32,000 nanograms per gram.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Contaminants Research 7 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

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.

2019 BIBSYS Brage (BIBSYS (Norway)) 117 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Environmental Pollution 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification and Chemical Characterization of Plastic Additives and Small Microplastics (<100 μm) in Highway Road Dust

Researchers quantified small microplastics (under 100 micrometers) and plastic additives in highway road dust samples using micro-FTIR analysis. The study found significant concentrations of small microplastics across sampling sites, highlighting road dust as an important but often overlooked source of microplastic contamination that can become airborne or wash into waterways via stormwater runoff.

2023 Toxics 10 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

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

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.

2024 Transportation Research Part D Transport and Environment 5 citations
Review Tier 2

A review of potential physical and chemical markers for tyre and road wear particles

This review examines potential physical and chemical markers for identifying tyre and road wear particles (TRWPs) in environmental samples, assessing how these markers can distinguish TRWPs from other microplastic sources in freshwater ecosystems. The authors found that chemical additives associated with tyre rubber, including benzothiazole derivatives and specific heavy metals, show promise as tracers, though standardization of detection methods remains a challenge.

2024 Detritus 1 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

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

Forensic determination of adhesive vinyl microplastics in urban soils

Researchers applied forensic analytical techniques to identify adhesive vinyl microplastics in urban soils, tracing their origin to road markings, signs, and adhesive products. The study provides a new approach to source attribution of plastic contamination in city soils.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 4 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Transportation research procedia 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Car tire particles and their additives: biomarkers for recent exposure in marine environments

Researchers reviewed car tire wear particles and their chemical additives as environmental biomarkers for recent plastic pollution exposure in marine environments. Tire-specific compounds including benzothiazoles, zinc, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were identified as useful chemical tracers that can distinguish tire-derived pollution from other microplastic sources.

2025
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
Article Tier 2

Magnetic association of microplastics in urban road dust: Size distribution and ecological risk.

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles called microplastics are heavily concentrated in urban road dust, especially the smallest particles that can easily become airborne. The magnetic particles in this dust contain up to seven times more microplastics than non-magnetic particles, which matters because we breathe in this dust daily when walking, driving, or when wind stirs it up. This research helps us better understand how much plastic pollution we're exposed to in cities and where it comes from.

2026 Environmental research
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
Article Tier 2

Quantification of tire wear particles in road dust based on synthetic/natural rubber ratio using pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry across diverse tire types

Researchers developed an improved method for measuring tire wear particles in road dust that accounts for differences in rubber composition across tire brands and types. They found that the standard ISO method, which assumes a fixed ratio of synthetic to natural rubber, can significantly misestimate tire wear concentrations. The refined approach provides more accurate measurements of this major source of microplastic pollution from road traffic.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of microplastic by particle size down to 1.1 μm in surface road dust in an urban city, Japan

Researchers quantified microplastics in urban road dust in Japan down to 1.1 micrometers, revealing that smaller size fractions contained disproportionately higher particle counts and that roads are a significant source of fine microplastic pollution.

2023 Environmental Pollution 33 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
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

Quantification and characterization of additives, plasticizers, and small microplastics (5–100 μm) in highway stormwater runoff

Small microplastics (5-100 micrometers), plastic additives, and plasticizers were quantified in highway stormwater runoff samples using micro-FTIR and optimized extraction protocols. Small microplastics dominated by number, with rubber fragments and tire-wear particles prominent, and concentrations varied significantly between rainfall events based on road traffic intensity and antecedent dry period.

2022 Journal of Environmental Management 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Is road pavement wear a source of microplastics in stormwater runoff?

Researchers investigated whether road pavement wear contributes microplastics to stormwater runoff, testing pavement materials and runoff samples from urban areas. The study found that pavement abrasion does release plastic-associated particles into stormwater, adding to the range of urban microplastic sources.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)