Lost at Sea - where are all the tyre particles? (TYRE-LOSS)

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In the UK 330 billion road miles are driven every year, generating particles of synthetic rubber as a consequence of friction between the tyre and the road surface. It has been estimated that tyre wear could account for 65% (18,000 tonnes annually) of all microplastics released to UK surface waters. However, these estimates are in stark disagreement with environmental data where polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and PET are the main types of microplastics and on a global scale only around 1% of studies report finding any tyre particles at all. This contradiction is concerning because tyres contain a range of potentially hazardous chemicals which have been shown to cause harm to marine life. Tyre particles are challenging to identify from environmental samples and this might explain the discrepancies between modelling estimates and actual field sampling. In this proposal, we will use an approach that has been recently trialled by the team and has shown that very substantial quantities of tyre particles are indeed entering the sea via storm water, waste water and from airborne dust. This project will measure tyre particle concentrations at their points of entry to the marine environment and then describe their subsequent transport in the water column. We will measure concentrations in the water, sediment and marine life at increasing distances from the places where these particles enter the sea and construct and validate mathematical models to describe the dispersal of tyre particles in inshore waters. This information will then be used establish the potential for any associated risks to marine life at environmentally relevant concentrations. The proposal brings together the Universities of Plymouth, Exeter and Newcastle, together with Plymouth Marine Laboratory and an Advisory Group comprising 14 organisations including policy makers, tyre, automobile, plastics and water industries as well as academia and environmental charities (see letters of support). Our research team includes world-leading experts in microplastics, marine litter, environmental chemistry, coastal dynamics and ecotoxicology who have pioneered the field with numerous collaborative projects, jointly authored papers and awards for their work. Their previous research has had significant, broad impact influencing policy and industry on a global scale to help reduce plastic contamination in the environment. There has been considerable media attention on plastic pollution in recent years and this has translated into an urgent call for action by the public, policy makers and industry. However, current understanding of the most appropriate actions is less clear and reliable information on the relative importance and associated risks from various sources of microplastic, including tyre particles, is lacking. The outcomes of this research are therefore of critical importance to guide policy and industry intervention. The number of road vehicles is set to double by 2050 leading to increased particle emissions; however, there are interventions that could reduce the rate of tyre particle generation, hence the proposed research is both urgent and timely.The outcomes of this project will be widely disseminated via a dedicated Work Package on communication and impact, facilitated by an Impact Champion and the Advisory Group that has been specifically assembled for the project.