The air we breathe contains plastic particles, and a large part comes from tire wear. This is the result of analyses conducted in Leipzig by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) and the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg.
The study, published in
Communications Earth & Environment, estimates that a resident of Leipzig inhales 2.1 micrograms of plastic each day. This level is associated with a 9% increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 13% increase for lung cancer. These figures exceed the risk attributed to conventional fine particulate matter in Europe.
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Why does tire wear dominate? The researchers identified eleven types of polymers in the air, including polyethylene, PVC, and PET. But tire particles alone account for 65% of the total plastic materials. This shows that even with the transition to electric vehicles, this problem will persist or even worsen, because electric cars, being heavier, put more strain on tires.
These particles are difficult to measure. Plastic is not a single material, and conventional optical techniques struggle to detect nanoparticles. The scientists therefore used a method of pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. They first established reference "fingerprints" for each polymer, then compared them to air samples collected over two weeks in 2022.
Nanoparticles, smaller than one micrometer, can penetrate deep into the respiratory tract and cause oxidative stress or inflammation. They also carry toxic substances such as heavy metals or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Yet neither the WHO nor the European Union has set limits for plastic particles in the air.
Ankush Kaushik, a doctoral student at TROPOS, notes that these results are the first in Germany to quantify micro- and nanoplastics by polymer type. The team plans to study seasonal changes over a full year. According to the researchers, it is becoming urgent to include tire particles in air quality regulations, as they constitute a major source of plastic pollution.