A review of tire wear particles: Occurrence, adverse effects, and control strategies

Tire wear particles (TWPs), common mixed particulate emerging contaminants in the environment, have global per capita emissions accounting for 0.23–1.9 kg/year, attracting global attention recently due to their wide detection, small size, mobility, and high toxicity. This review focuses on the occurrence characteristics of TWPs in multiple environmental media, adverse effects on organisms, potential toxicity mechanisms, and environmental risk prevention and control strategies of TWPs. The environmental fate of TWPs throughout the entire process is systematically investigated by the bibliometric analysis function of CiteSpace. This review supplements the gap in the joint toxicity and related toxicity mechanisms of TWPs with other environmental pollutants. Based on the risks review of TWPs and their additives, adverse impacts have been found in organisms from aquatic environments, soil, and humans, such as the growth inhibition effect on Chironomus dilutes. A multi-faceted and rationalized prevention and control treatment of "source-process-end" for the whole process can be achieved by regulating the use of studded tires, improving the tire additive formula, growing plants roadside, encouraging micro-degradation, and other methods, which are first reviewed. By addressing the current knowledge gaps and exploring prospects, this study contributes to developing strategies for reducing risks and assessing the fate of TWPs in multiple environmental media. [Display omitted] •Recent advances in tire wear particles (TWPs) in environments were presented.•TWPs’ distribution, risks, toxicity mechanism and control strategies were discussed.•Particular caution is needed regarding the removal and toxicity recognition of TWPs.•Future studies should focus on the joint toxicity of TWPs with other pollutants.