Good car tires are important for road safety. But at the same time they harm us in a completely different way.
The debate about the eco-friendliness of driving often revolves around air pollution from exhaust fumes. However, one aspect that is often ignored is tire wear and tear, which pollutes the environment much more.
In Canada alone, up to 100,000 tons of abrasive material is generated each year. Assuming that a new tire weighs about 9 kilograms, this amounts to about 11,000 units that are released into the environment in the form of fine particles.
This synthetic rubber accounts for about a third of all microplastic emissions, and it indirectly ends up on your plate.
How worn out tires end up in your body in the form of microplastics
Worn out tires end up in your food through the water cycle.
Tiny, barely visible particles of worn rubber remain on the road and are washed down the drain when it rains, and then the microplastics end up in lakes, rivers, and seas. Animals consume these substances and thus they enter the food chain.
The wind also carries away the tiny aerosolized components in the form of fine dust, resulting in people inhaling this material. This contact is particularly problematic because chemicals are added to tires to increase their durability and traction.
But unlike plastic products that come into contact with food, these ingredients are harmful to us. A 2023 University study found that chemicals leached from sewage sludge as a result of tire wear are directly absorbed by plants through their roots.
These include, for example, 6PPD, an ozone depleting agent that can lead to fish kills. Ecologist Thilo Hofmann told the newspaper that other substances may not yet have been discovered.
0 Comments