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Science X's Phys.org site describes a report about the harm from tire particles, which account for about a third of all microplastic contamination in the environment. Unlike other types of plastic, tire particles are smaller, have greater chemical complexity, and different behavior in ecosystems. Thus the call is for them to be placed in a new, separate enviromental category.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Research, highlights the gap in current knowledge about the environmental presence, transportation, and toxic impact of these particles. The authors have identified ten priority research questions across four key themes: environmental detection, chemical composition, biotic impacts, and regulation.
The research brought together an interdisciplinary network of experts from countries including the U.K., U.S., Norway, Australia, South Korea, Finland, Austria, China, and Canada. Their findings underscore the need for a standardized framework to quantify and manage TPs and their leachates, especially as the global presence of these contaminants rises.
A second study is being carried out on the effects from tire chemicals and particles on marine life in UK waters.
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Friday November 22, @12:34PM
UK government report on air pollution in the UK (and detrimental effects thereof):
https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/viewonline?year=2023_issue_1#report_pdf [defra.gov.uk]
My reading is that NOx is most significant pollutant while other stuff is also significant. From the report:
> exposure to the air pollution mixture in the UK has an annual effect equivalent to 29,000 to
> 43,000 deaths for adults aged 30 and over (UK Health Security Agency, 2022a).
[page 33, Note that this includes not just particulates but other air pollution sources. That corresponds to about 0.5 deaths per thousand people per year in the UK, compared to a UK mortality of a bit under 10 deaths per thousand per year.]
> The main sources of
> primary PM10 particulate emissions in the UK are: combustion in production processes;
> industrial, residential and commercial fuel use; agriculture; waste treatment, and road
> transport. In recent years, emissions from residential combustion have increased, both in
> ...
> ... respiratory and cardiovascular illness ... 722,660 cases of chronic bronchitis ...
> although [the study authors] considered the evidence insufficient to establish causality
[page 35, PM10 means particulate matter having size 10 micron]