Every year, billions of vehicles worldwide shed an estimated 6 million tonnes of tire fragments.
These tiny flakes of plastic, generated by the wear and tear of normal driving, eventually accumulate in the soil, in rivers and lakes, and even in our food. Researchers in South China recently found tire-derived chemicals in most human urine samples.
These tire particles are a significant but often-overlooked contributor to microplastic pollution. They account for 28 percent of microplastics entering the environment globally.
Despite the scale of the issue, tire particles have flown under the radar. Often lumped in with other microplastics, they are rarely treated as a distinct pollution category, yet their unique characteristics demand a different approach.
We urgently need to classify tire particles as a unique pollution category. In our recent international study, colleagues and I found that this approach would drive more focused research that could inform policies specifically designed to mitigate tire pollution.
And it could help ordinary people better understand the scale of the problem and what they can do about it.
Right now, delegates are meeting in South Korea to negotiate the first global plastics pollution treaty. While this landmark agreement is poised to address many aspects of plastic pollution, tire particles are barely on the agenda.
Given their significant contribution to microplastics, recognizing tire pollution as a unique issue could help unlock targeted solutions and public awareness. This is what we need to address this growing environmental threat.