A university team have discovered an overlooked source of pollution – not the part of a car you would expect. Instead of petrol, it’s tyres, which create ‘tyre wear particles’ that enter the air, waterways and more.
At Queen Mary University London, Professor James Busfield and his team are investigating how tyre wear particles form, how they change once released and how future tyre designs could help reduce their environmental impact.
They are also exploring how tyres could be recycled in the future – particularly to recover valuable materials, much like the approach being taken to fast tech in recent months.
Professor Busfield said: “As we move towards a more sustainable transport system, we need to consider the entire environmental impact of mobility. That means understanding not only vehicle emissions, but also the materials we use, how they wear and what happens to them at the end of their life.
Sustainable tyres could be on the horizon for the UK, reducing the secret carbon footprint of road transport that hides behind its big brother – petrol and diesel.
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