Sources of fine particles, should tires be eliminated?

Dust due to abrasion could be collected by an electrostatic device placed on the wheel, as close as possible to the ground. The Tyre Collective, The James Dyson Award

INFOGRAPHICS – After the ban on heat engines in 2035, tires will become one of the main sources of pollution. Unless we manage to trap the particles produced by their abrasion.

Tirelessly, with each turn of the wheel, the tires disintegrate, sowing fine deadly particles. These particulate matter (denoted PM) have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers (PM 2.5) or 10 micrometers (PM 10). On average, a car produces more than 2 grams daily, a bus more than 330 grams. Nearly 500,000 tons are emitted each year in Europe. These dusts are one of the most important sources of microplastics. They are found in the water, food and air that we breathe to end up in the blood and the lungs. Nearly 30% of plastic microparticles released into the oceans each year come from tires.

Every year in Europe, 500,000 tonnes of dust are emitted by tires. Reuters

So, after removing heat engines from vehicles to make them cleaner, will the tires have to be removed? Maybe not… Students from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art grouped together in the Tire Collective have built a system capable of collecting these tiny pieces…

This article is for subscribers only. You have 54% left to discover.

Pushing back the limits of science is also freedom.

Keep reading your article for €0.99 for the first month

Already subscribed? Login