Microplastic Air Pollution from the Wear of Vehicle Tires

Tire wear particles from mobile sources are the dominating source of microplastic pollution globally. Tires typically consist of rubbers/elastomers, polymers, fillers, processing oils and resins, additives, reinforcements, and vulcanization agents. This study aims to investigate the abundance and examine the occurrence and composition of traffic-derived microplastics from in-use vehicles when operating on different routes. To the best of the research team's knowledge, the present study is one of the first attempts to characterize and quantify microplastic pollution from tire wear during in-use conditions. This study will employ state-of-the-art and novel sampling systems, which will be installed on vehicles operating on routes with different pavement materials (concrete vs. asphalt) and a mix of driving conditions (urban vs. highway driving, aggressive driving and elevation changes). The goal of this study is to investigate tire-wear microplastic particles and better understand how these pollutants affect communities near major highways.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $95,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348329

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Center for Healthy and Efficient Mobility

  Texas A&M Transportation Institute
  College Station, TX  United States  77807
• Project Managers:

  Ocon, Monica

• Performing Organizations:

  University of California, Riverside

  1084 Columbia Ave.
  Riverside, CA  United States  92507
• Principal Investigators:

  Karavalakis, Georgios

• Start Date: 20250301
• Expected Completion Date: 20260228
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers
• Source Data: 02-01-UCR

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution; Particulates; Plastics; Sampling; Tires; Wear
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Materials; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01962509
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health (CARTEEH)
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348329
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Aug 5 2025 3:42PM