Tires and tire wear particles: an overlooked source of pollution

This presentation will focus on how to understand and address contaminant sources from road wear particles.

Impact/Purpose

This is an invited presentation for the Turf to surf: understanding and managing marine contaminants from Oregon land uses session at the Oregon State of the Coast Conference on Saturday, 4 November 2023.   Description: From pesticides and microplastics to fluorinated chemicals used in consumer products, contaminants are increasingly in the news and in our awareness. But how much do we know about contaminants in Oregon's ocean and along its coast: hotspots, sources, and effects? What actions are being taken in the state to understand and address contaminant sources? We will engage representatives from utilities, industry, agencies, academia and elected officials to explore the current state of knowledge and action on this issue in Oregon and how what we do in Oregon translates regionally and nationally. The format will include brief 5 minutes overviews  from each speaker presented for a general audience followed by an interactive discussion with the audience. My talk, entitled "Tires and tire wear particles: an overlooked source of pollution" will cover the issue of tires as a complex pollutantt.  Managing and mitigating tires across the range of pollutants is challenging and will grow despite shifts to electric vehicles.  This presentation is to describe in simple terms, the most current published information about the risks represented by tires as a pollutant source and  describe potential management approaches for attenuating tire pollution, and discuss data gaps critical to improving our ability to manage risk. 

Citation

Mayer, P. Tires and tire wear particles: an overlooked source of pollution. Turf to surf: understanding and managing marine contaminants from Oregon land uses. Oregon State of the Coast Conference, Newport, OR, November 04, 2023.