Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microbial community shifts induced by plastic and zinc as substitutes of tire abrasion

Researchers tested the effects of plastic particles and zinc separately on a freshwater microeukaryotic community using high-throughput 18S rRNA sequencing, using these as surrogates for tire wear particle components. Both plastic and zinc individually altered community composition at environmentally realistic concentrations, with plastic causing more pronounced shifts in community structure.

2022 Scientific Reports 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Tire wear particles drive size-dependent loss of freshwater bacterial biofilm diversity

Researchers placed tire wear particles of different sizes and types in the River Rhine for four weeks and studied the bacterial communities that formed on them. They found that tire wear particles supported significantly less diverse bacterial communities compared to natural river sediment, with larger particles reducing diversity even further. The study reveals that the widespread release of tire wear particles into freshwater systems may be reshaping microbial ecosystems by favoring certain specialized bacteria over others.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Succession-driven potential functional shifts in microbial communities in the tire-plastisphere: Comparison of pristine and scrap tire

Researchers incubated pristine and scrap tire microplastics alongside wood particles in a lake environment for 60 days and used amplicon and metagenome sequencing to characterise succession-driven structural and functional shifts in microbial communities colonising the tire-plastisphere.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Bacterial community colonization on tire microplastics in typical urban water environments and associated impacting factors

Researchers used 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing to characterize bacterial community dynamics colonizing tire microplastics from three different tire brands and sizes in two urban water environments, including a constructed wetland influent pond. The study identified how tire microplastics support distinct and potentially harmful bacterial communities influenced by environmental conditions.

2020 Environmental Pollution 119 citations
Article Tier 2

Leachable Additives of Tire Particles Explain the Shift in Microbial Community Composition and Function in Coastal Sediments

Researchers found that tire particles deposited in coastal zones can significantly alter microbial communities in sediments, disrupting key nutrient cycling processes including carbon fixation and nitrogen cycling. The study showed that chemical additives leaching from tire particles, rather than the particles themselves, were responsible for over 90% of the changes in microbial community structure. These findings highlight how tire-derived microplastics can harm coastal ecosystems through the chemicals they release.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 82 citations
Article Tier 2

A comparative analysis of the chemical composition and biofilm formation on tire wear particles from six different tire types

Researchers analyzed the chemical composition and biofilm communities forming on tire-wear particles compared to other microplastic types, finding that tire wear particles support distinct microbial assemblages. The unique surface chemistry of tire wear particles may promote the attachment of pathogens and toxin-producing microorganisms.

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

“Tire plastisphere” in aquatic ecosystems: Biofilms colonizing on tire particles exhibiting a distinct community structure and assembly compared to conventional plastisphere

This study examined biofilm communities (the "tire plastisphere") forming on tire particles in aquatic ecosystems, characterizing the microorganisms that colonize rubber particles and assessing whether the plastisphere community differs from surrounding water or sediment microbiomes. Tire particles hosted distinct biofilm communities enriched in potentially pathogenic and hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Electrochemical-oxidative dualism: Decoupling the acute effects of lake water-aged tire wear particles on periphytic biofilm-mediated denitrification

This study examined how freshly generated and lake water-aged tire wear particles (TWPs) of different types affect denitrification in periphytic biofilms. Neither fresh nor aged TWPs altered nitrate removal or denitrification gene abundance, despite aging increasing the electron exchange capacity and free radical content of particles.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Delivery rate alters the effects of tire wear particles on soil microbial activities

Researchers examined how different delivery rates of tire wear particles affect soil microbial activity, since precipitation transports these particles from roads to adjacent soils at varying intensities. The study found that delivery rate significantly alters the magnitude of tire wear particle effects on soil microbial communities.

2024 Research Square (Research Square) 1 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

Toxic effects of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) on the surface of tire wear particles on freshwater biofilms: The alleviating role after sewage-incubation-aging

Researchers investigated how tire wear particles affect freshwater biofilms, which are communities of microorganisms that play important roles in aquatic ecosystems. They found that reactive chemical compounds on the surface of fresh tire particles caused significant toxicity, reducing photosynthesis and biological activity in the biofilms. The study suggests that aging in sewage environments reduces the toxicity of tire wear particles by breaking down these harmful surface chemicals.

2023 Chemosphere 19 citations
Article Tier 2

What is hiding below the surface – MPs including TWP in an urban lake

Thirteen sediment samples from a Danish urban lake were analyzed for microplastics including tire wear particles, with detections down to 10 micrometers, finding that MPs including TWP accumulate in urban lake sediments even far from direct stormwater inputs.

2023 Environment International 24 citations
Article Tier 2

PET particles raise microbiological concerns for human health while tyre wear microplastic particles potentially affect ecosystem services in waters

Researchers tested how PET particles and tire wear microplastics affect microbial communities in freshwater systems. They found that PET particles promoted the growth of potential human pathogens, while tire wear particles altered the broader microbial community composition relevant to ecosystem functions. The study suggests these two common types of microplastics pose distinct but significant risks to water quality and public health.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastic on Freshwater Sediment Biogeochemistry and Microbial Communities Is Polymer Specific

Researchers used a microcosm approach to test how three common plastic types found in Great Lakes sediments affect freshwater benthic biogeochemistry and microbial communities. They found that each polymer had distinct effects: PET fibers decreased ecosystem metabolism, PVC particles increased nutrient uptake, and tire-derived rubber most substantially altered microbial community function. The study highlights that the environmental impact of microplastics in freshwater sediments depends heavily on the specific polymer type involved.

2024 Water 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Sediment bacterial and fungal communities exhibit distinct responses to microplastic types and sizes in Taihu lake

Researchers conducted microcosm experiments to study how polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics of different sizes affect sediment bacterial and fungal communities in Taihu Lake over 60 days. They found that microplastics reduced microbial diversity and significantly altered community structures, with particle size being the most influential factor. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in lake sediments may disrupt natural biogeochemical processes by shifting microbial community composition and network complexity.

2023 Environmental Pollution 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics alter composition of fungal communities in aquatic ecosystems

This study examined how microplastics affect fungal communities in rivers, the Baltic Sea, and a wastewater treatment plant, finding that plastics altered fungal diversity and community composition. The results suggest microplastics can disrupt aquatic fungal ecology, with potential downstream effects on nutrient cycling and ecosystem function.

2017 Environmental Microbiology 265 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the structure and function of bacterial communities in sediments of a freshwater lake

Researchers examined how microplastics alter the structure and function of bacterial communities in sediments, finding that plastic exposure shifted community composition and reduced overall diversity compared to plastic-free controls. Functional analysis showed impaired denitrification and organic matter decomposition in microplastic-contaminated sediments, indicating ecosystem-level consequences for nutrient cycling.

2024 Chemosphere 9 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

Priorities to inform research on tire particles and their chemical leachates: A collective perspective.

An international interdisciplinary network of researchers identified priority research areas for understanding the ecological impacts of tire particles and their chemical leachates — a rapidly growing area of concern given that tire wear particles are one of the largest sources of microplastics in urban runoff. The priorities span toxicology, exposure assessment, and regulatory relevance.

2024 Environmental research
Article Tier 2

A comparative analysis of the chemical composition and biofilm formation on tire wear particles from six different tire types

Researchers compared the chemical composition and biofilm characteristics of tire wear particles collected from different vehicle types and road conditions, examining how these variables affect toxin and pathogen attachment. Tire wear particle composition varied with source, and surface properties influenced the attachment of microorganisms and contaminants, affecting their hazard potential.

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

Tire wear particles: An emerging threat to soil health

This review synthesizes knowledge about tire wear particles — a major but often overlooked source of microplastic-like pollutants — in soil ecosystems. Tire wear particles contain toxic metals and organic compounds that harm soil microbes, invertebrates, and plants, but most research to date has focused on aquatic systems rather than soils.

2022 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Increase the Risk of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Water Pollution in a Freshwater Lake by Affecting Microbial Function in Biogenic Element Cycling: A Metagenomic Study

Researchers used metagenomic analysis to examine how microplastics affect microbial community function in a freshwater lake, finding that microplastic contamination disrupts biogenic element cycling processes and increases the risk of greenhouse gas emissions and water quality degradation.

2024
Article Tier 2

Aging of Tire Particles in Deep-Sea Conditions: Interactions between Hydrostatic Pressure, Prokaryotic Growth and Chemical Leaching.

This laboratory study simulated deep-sea conditions to investigate how high hydrostatic pressure and prokaryotic biofilms affect tire particle aging. Deep-sea pressure and microbial colonization altered the physical and chemical properties of tire particles, with implications for their long-term fate as a microplastic sink.

2025 Environmental science & technology
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and microbial communities in sediments

Researchers found that PVC, PLA, and polypropylene microplastics altered nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in freshwater sediments by shifting microbial community composition, with effects varying by polymer type and biodegradability.

2022 Environmental Pollution 107 citations