Plastic microparticles released into the environment from common road tyres should be treated as a “high concern” pollutant, that may exceed chronic safety limits in some heavily contaminated environments, new research has shown.
Plastic microparticles released into the environment from common road tyres should be treated as a “high concern” pollutant, that may exceed chronic safety limits in some heavily contaminated environments, new research has shown.
A team of researchers, led by experts from the University of Exeter and the University of Plymouth, has looked at the chronic toxicity of particles and chemical leachates found on a series of popular tyre brands.
They then looked at the effect these particles and chemicals would have on small planktonic crustaceans, the water flea (Dapnia magna).
Read More: University of Exeter
Tyre wear particles captured from the road network in wetlands used to trap stormwater. (Photo Credit: University of Plymouth Scanning Electron Microscopy Unit)
