Abstract
Owing to their physical and chemical properties, particles generated by the abrasion of tyre tread against road surfaces, or tyre wear particles, are recognised as microplastics. Recent desk-based studies suggest tyre wear to be a major contributor of microplastic emissions to the environment. This study aimed to quantify tyre wear in roadside drains and the natural environment near to a major road intersection. Tyre particles were identified by visual identification and a subsample confirmed as tyre wear by GC-MS using N-cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazolamine (NCBA) as a marker. The abundance of tyre wear within roadside drains was greater in areas associated with increased braking and accelerating than that with high traffic densities (p = < 0.05). Tyre particle abundance in the natural environment ranged from 0.6 ± 0.33 to 65 ± 7.36 in 5 mL of material, with some evidence of decline with distance from the road. This study offers preliminary data regarding the generation and abundance of this under-researched microplastic.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 18345-18354 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Environmental science and pollution research |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 15 |
| Early online date | 17 Mar 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 17 Mar 2020 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- Drainage
- Microplastics
- Run-off
- Tire wear particle
- Traffic density
- Vehicle emissions