Tire road wear particles (TRWPs) containing synthetic rubbers are estimated to be one of the largest sources of microplastics to the environment.1 Different from other major types of plastics (PE, PP, and PS), for which many alternative materials are being developed and tested, there seems to be no quick alternatives to synthetic rubbers. With the development of road traffic, the level of emission of microplastics from TRWPs is likely to remain high for some time. These particles are created through the friction between tires and the road surface, creating abrasion particles from both sources, and they exhibit large morphology, size, density, and chemical property ranges. The question of whether tire wear rubbers truly belong within the scope of microplastics is debated, having chemistry, morphology, density, shape, and size distribution very different from those of the more commonly known plastic particles. However, it is unambiguous that TRWPs are potentially harmful to the environment, as they are linked to toxic effects in both aquatic and terrestrial organisms, especially due to certain tire additives such as 6-PPD-quinone/ TRWPs have been found to accumulate in soils and sediments from road runoff and air deposits."
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