When we talk about plastic pollution, images of plastic bags, bottles, and packaging usually come to mind. Yet one of the largest sources of microplastics globally is far less visible and rarely discussed: wear particles from vehicle tires.
How do microplastics from tires form?
Every time a vehicle accelerates, brakes, or turns, its tires wear down. Modern tires are made from a complex mix of synthetic rubber, plastic polymers, fillers, and chemical additives. As the tire surface abrades against the road, tiny particles are released. These particles often referred to as tire wear particles (TWPs) are considered microplastics.
Most of these particles are smaller than a grain of sand and are released directly into the environment without notice.
Unlike larger plastic waste, tire wear particles are extremely difficult to capture at the source. They accumulate and spread through multiple pathways:
- Along roads and road verges
- Into stormwater drains and urban runoff systems
- Into rivers, lakes, and eventually the ocean
- Into soils and agricultural land
In urban environments, tire wear is frequently identified as the dominant source of microplastics in stormwater. Heavy rainfall accelerates their transport, making emissions continuous and largely unavoidable.
How large is the problem?
Multiple studies estimate that tire wear accounts for a significant share of total microplastic emissions worldwide. In many European countries, tire-derived particles represent the single largest source of microplastics, exceeding emissions from textiles, cosmetics, and packaging.
With increasing traffic volumes and the growing adoption of heavier electric vehicles tire wear emissions are expected to rise further unless effective mitigation strategies are implemented.
Environmental and potential health impacts
Tire wear particles are not just plastic. They also contain metals (such as zinc) and chemical compounds that can be toxic to living organisms. Research shows potential impacts on:
- Aquatic organisms, including fish and invertebrates
- Freshwater and coastal ecosystems
- Soil organisms and soil quality
There is also growing concern about human exposure, particularly in urban areas where airborne and waterborne concentrations of tire particles are highest. While research is ongoing, the long-term health implications remain an important area of study.
Sources & further reading
- European Environment Agency (EEA): Microplastics from tyres and road wear (2014, updated assessments)
- OECD (2022): Global Plastics Outlook – Economic Drivers, Environmental Impacts and Policy Options
- Kole et al. (2017): Wear and Tear of Tyres: A Stealthy Source of Microplastics in the Environment, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Wagner et al. (2018): Microplastics in freshwater ecosystems, Environmental Sciences Europe
- UNEP (2021): From Pollution to Solution: A Global Assessment of Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution
