Vehicle tires as a source of microplastics

(Image: Pixabay CC0) Tire wear of motor vehicles is responsible for a large proportion of microplastics in the environment. Researchers from Empa and the company wst21 have summarized the results of various studies in a recently published basic report in response to postulate Po 19.3559 and presented approaches for reduction. Tires are the interface between the vehicle and the road. When accelerating, they transfer the power of the engine to the road surface and thus propel the vehicle. When braking, the speed is reduced via the tires. Strong accelerations leave, , black marks on the road - the same happens during emergency braking, whereby the anti-lock braking system (ABS) tries to prevent this as best it can. However, tire wear is not only generated during these extreme manoeuvres, but also during every "normal" drive; even at constant speed, the tires rub against the road surface, releasing tire material into the environment.