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From EcoWatch
- Nanoparticle pollution from vehicle tires is a significant problem: A recent study found that tire wear particles are the biggest source of nanoparticle pollution in the remote Alps, with 41% of nanoparticles detected containing tire wear particles. This pollution can have negative effects on marine life and even be present in human urine samples.
- The impact of tire pollution is widespread and underestimated: Previous studies have shown that tire particles could make up an estimated 78% of ocean microplastics, and globally, vehicle tires shed around 6 million tons of particles per year. This pollution is not only harming the environment but also human health.
- We can take action to reduce nanoparticle pollution: By addressing the root cause of this problem – vehicle tire pollution – we can make a significant impact on reducing nanoparticle pollution. This can be achieved through the development of more sustainable and eco-friendly tire technologies, as well as increased recycling and proper disposal of old tires.
New survey results have revealed that vehicle tires are the biggest source of nanoparticle pollution in the remote Alps.
In the Alpine survey, trained mountaineer citizen scientists collected samples of high-altitude glaciers, and scientists used a method called thermal desorption-proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry (TD-PTR-MS) to analyze the samples for nanoplastics.
Mountaineers collected samples from 14 sites in the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. From there, scientists analyzed nanoparticles for the presence of compounds such as polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene and tire wear particles. Out of the 14 remote sites, researchers detected nanoparticle pollution in samples from five of the sites.
The most abundant polymers in the nanoparticles included tire wear particles (found in 41% of nanoparticles), polystyrene (28%) and polyethylene (12%). The team published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports.
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