Investigation of physical and chemical properties of particulate matter caused by vehicle tire wear

Today, due to the increasing use of vehicles, toxic particle emissions released from vehicle tires significantly affect the health and environment of living things. This study was designed to explain the physical and chemical properties of submicron tire wear particles (TWPs) sources from vehicle use. For this purpose, elemental composition and morphological structure analyses of TWPs were performed using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD). The mass weights of the metal and heavy metal elements in the particle structure were also determined. The analyses indicated that 17 elements were present in the elemental structure of the tire particles. Among these elements, toxic heavy metals were detected. The XRD analyses showed that different morphological formations of microplastics and carbon black were found extensively in the TWP chemical structure. In addition, a great amount of ZnO was concentrated in the tire structure, and other oxidized and mineralogical forms were detected. According to the World Health Organization reports, these toxic substances can be caused by acid rain, greenhouse effect, ozone layer depletion, eutrophication, biodegradation, etc., causes many negative environmental effects. In connection with these undesirable effects, it causes many health problems such as the loss of health of the living respiratory, digestive and cardiovascular systems. Because heterogeneous TWPs are an important source of microplastics and toxic compounds in the environment, more research is needed to assess the risks to soil, air, water, and to plant, animal, and human health.