Car tires have proven to be the most dangerous source of microplastic pollution.
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It is estimated that dust from used tires accounts for 78% of microplastics in the ocean. This is evidenced by the results of relevant studies, EuroNews reports.
About 2 billion tires are produced annually. Their wear particles and fragments of the road surface are scattered and end up in the ocean with sediment. Car tires are approximately 24% synthetic rubber, a type of plastic that breaks down as the vehicle moves.
Thus, four car tires emit one trillion ultrafine particles for every kilometer traveled. These particles are so small that they can pass through the lung tissue into the blood and cross the blood-brain barrier (the mechanism that protects the brain from foreign invaders), which can lead to serious health consequences.
Another danger of tires is the chemical 6PPD-quinone, which is added to tires to prevent them from breaking down.
When exposed to ground-level ozone, 6PPD is converted into a variety of other chemicals, including a compound that is acutely toxic to a number of fish species, the publication notes.
It is 6PPD that is associated with the mass extinction of salmon in the waters of the West Coast of the United States two decades ago.
- toxicologists discovered that salmon kills occurred after rainstorms;
- it turned out that 6PPD ended up in the oceans through a system of road drains;
- According to activists campaigning for a ban on 6PPD, there is a threat that these fish species could become extinct as a result.
In total, automobile rubber contains more than 400 chemicals and compounds, many of which are carcinogenic.
It has been noted that tire dust pollution in some cases even competes with tailpipe emissions—one study found that PM 2.5 and PM 10 emissions from tires and brakes significantly exceeded tailpipe emissions.
At the same time, experts note, the requirements for exhaust gases are prescribed in laws, but there are still no global standards for tires.
However, the future Euro 7 standard, expected to be adopted in 2025, will regulate emissions from tires and brake pads with discs, so it is likely that in a few years the production standards for road rubber will be controlled as strictly as composition of vehicle exhaust gases.
These regulations will also apply to electric vehicles, which tend to produce more emissions from tires due to their heavier weight.
Source: EuroNews
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I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.