Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Trump reiterates proposal for Russia and Ukraine to stop at current front line, negotiate later
Reuters: Trump says no discussion regarding Ukraine ceding Donbas to Russia
US Vice President JD Vance: There is currently no security infrastructure in place to ensure the disarmament of Hamas
Israeli occupation forces said that "ceasefire in Gaza begins to be re-implemented."
Israeli media: 'Israel' to halt entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza until further notice.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: One woman was killed and several children were injured as a result of Israeli bombing of displaced Gazans' tents in the Mawasi area of ​​Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.
Al Mayadeen correspondent in Gaza: An Israeli airstrike targeted the eastern areas of Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip.
Al Mayadeen correspondent in Gaza: An Israeli airstrike targeted Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
Al-Qassam Brigades: Communication has been severed with what our remaining fighters (if any are still alive) in Rafah, which is currently under occupation's control.
Al-Qassam Brigades says continues to abide by ceasefire, no knowledge of developments in Rafah.

How car tires account for 78% of ocean microplastics: Study

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News Websites
  • 3 Oct 2023 19:37
  • 2 Shares
3 Min Read

A three-year study done in the UK finds that a car’s four tires churn out one trillion particles for every kilometer driven.

  • x
  • How car tires are the main culprits behind Ocean microplastics
    A volunteer of the NGO 'Canarias Libre de Plasticos' (Canary Islands free of plastics) carries out a collection of microplastics and mesoplastic debris to clean the Almaciga Beach, on the north coast of the Canary Island of Tenerife, on 14 July, 2018 (AFP Photo)

While automakers and politicians scramble to transition to a zero-emissions sector in the coming years, the over two billion tires produced internationally may be a problem themselves. 

The Yale School of the Environment discovered that tire dust — small particles that break down and wear off of a tire over time — accounts for 78% of the ocean's microplastics.

Rebecca Sutton, an environmental scientist with the San Francisco Estuary Institute told Yale that "extremely high levels of microplastics" were found in stormwater, adding that "our estimated annual discharge of microplastics into San Francisco Bay from stormwater was seven trillion particles, and half of that was suspected tire particles."

The latest Yale analysis describes a decades-long study to determine the effects of various chemicals on fish on the West Coast, for example, and how some of those compounds can become deadly during typical tire wear and tear.

Tires are made of a combination of natural and synthetic rubbers and polymers that are intended to reduce the natural breakdown of a tire as it rolls over pavement. 

When tire particles inevitably make their way into road runoff and subsequently fish, some of them have unintentionally formed a hazardous cocktail. Researchers' determination to identify the culprits, such as a molecule called 6PPD, led them to discover how much tire dust is released when driving. 

Related News

Nearly all oceans hit with 'unusual warmth', warns of mega storms

Climate change-instigated ocean surface temperatures hit record high

According to a three-year study done in the UK, a car’s four tires churn out one trillion particles for every kilometer driven. And while two billion tires are made each year now, the Yale University report points out that number is expected to reach 3.4 billion by the end of the decade.

Microplastics in clouds cause 'plastic rainfall', infect everything

According to a new study, clouds now include microscopic bits of plastic, which are generating "plastic rainfall".

Earlier, AFP reported that the UN's environment chief warned against relying solely on recycling and called for a fundamental reconsideration of plastic use, as plastic production surges globally and is leading to increased pollution.

Scientists are concerned that tiny particles, smaller than 5 mm, known as microplastics, would contaminate "nearly everything we eat and drink."

Microplastics are a byproduct of the plastic waste that has choked lands and oceans as plastic degrades into smaller fragments and makes its way into the environment, human bodies, and wildlife.

Previous studies have connected these particles to illnesses and ailments such as cancer, infertility, and hormone disturbances.

Waseda University in Japan is the first to identify airborne microplastics in cloud water, as they conducted the first study to examine how microplastics affect cloud formation and their potential impact on the climate crisis and human health.

  • ocean microplastics
  • Yale
  • Microplastics
  • oceans

Most Read

Iran strikes secret Israeli-US bunker under Tel Aviv high-rise

Tel Aviv high-rise struck by Iran hid Site 81, secret US-Israeli base

  • Politics
  • 14 Oct 2025
drop site

New report details extensive Israeli arson in Gaza after ceasefire

  • Politics
  • 13 Oct 2025
2K Palestinian detainees freed, defy occupation with mass welcome

2K Palestinian detainees freed, defy occupation with mass welcome

  • Politics
  • 13 Oct 2025
Yemeni Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari , during a ceremony in an undisclosed locations in Yemen, undate (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemeni Armed Forces mourn martyred Chief of Staff al-Ghamari

  • Politics
  • 16 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Russian banks begin accepting Iranian LCs to boost bilateral trade
Economy

Russian banks begin accepting Iranian LCs to boost bilateral trade

IOF admit to the killing of two soldiers in Gaza
Politics

Israeli occupation forces says two soldiers killed in southern Gaza

President Donald Trump attends a lunch with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Politics

Trump: No Gaza troops, no more arms to Ukraine, tariffs on China

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks in a meeting with ambassadors and representatives of foreign countries in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Politics

Iran-China-Russia alliance to counter EU snapback move: Tehran

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS