Even though electric vehicles solve the problem of localised fuel emissions, tyre wear creates airborne particulate matter that can have negative health impacts on humans. As tyres degrade, they release a range of particles, from visible pieces of tyre rubber to nanoparticles.
Large particles can also be carried from the road by rain into rivers, where they may leach toxic chemicals such as zinc and lead into the environment, whilst smaller particles become airborne and are breathed in where they are small enough to reach into the deep lung.
There is emerging evidence that tyre-wear particles and other particulate matter may contribute to a range of negative health impacts including heart, lung, developmental, reproductive and cancer outcomes.
Researchers from Imperial College London’s 'Transition to Zero Pollution' initiative have warned that six million tonnes of tyre-wear particles are released globally each year. In London alone, 2.6 million vehicles...