Scientists discover that tires are releasing invisible microplastics into city air, raising concerns about what we breathe every day.

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 25/05/2026 at 14:32

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Study conducted in Leipzig identified airborne microplastics in significant concentrations, with about 65% of the total associated with tire wear, expanding the debate on air quality, urban mobility, electric cars, and risks still poorly regulated to public health.

Urban air pollution has gained an invisible component in Leipzig, Germany: researchers detected that plastic particles released by tire wear can account for up to 4% of the particulate matter inhaled on the streets.

Tires appear as a central source of air pollution

The investigation was conducted by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, TROPOS, under the direction of atmospheric chemist Hartmut Herrmann. The work analyzed the air of one of Leipzig’s main urban arteries for two weeks.

Large volume collectors captured particulate matter in different sizes. Then, pyrolysis, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry techniques allowed the separation of plastic particles from soot, pollen, and mineral dust.

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How tire wear reaches the air we breathe

The emission occurs in the daily contact between wheel and pavement. Accelerations, braking, and turns cause continuous abrasion, releasing fragments of rubber and synthetic compounds that can remain suspended in the urban environment.

The analyzed particles were smaller than 10 micrometers. The smallest ones, below 2.5 micrometers, are concerning because they remain suspended longer and can reach deep regions of the lung.

The estimated exposure in outdoor urban areas, like Leipzig, reached approximately 2.1 micrograms of inhaled plastic particles per day. The study associates this scenario with cardiopulmonary and lung cancer risks.

Electric cars reduce gases, but still use tires

The discovery broadens the debate on clean mobility. Electric vehicles eliminate exhaust gases and reduce CO₂ emissions, but they still produce non-engine-related particles because they also rely on tires.

The additional weight of the batteries can increase friction between wheels and asphalt. In urban traffic, marked by frequent stops, starts, and braking, this dynamic tends to increase wear and the release of particles.

This does not make electric vehicles worse than combustion vehicles globally. The central point is that changing the engine does not solve all urban pollution when millions of motorized trips remain concentrated in cities.

The European Union is working on rules for non-exhaust emissions in future Euro 7 standards. Brakes and tires are part of this debate, which has gained importance as microplastic measurement has advanced.

Environmental risk goes beyond the lungs

The problem does not end when the particles leave the air. Part of the material settles on the ground, mixes with urban dust, or is carried by rain into sewers, rivers, and coastal areas.

There are still scientific uncertainties about the interaction of these micro and nanoplastics with the human body. Cited research links inhalable particles to oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, chronic inflammation, and possible respiratory diseases.

The study points to environmental inequality. Those living near busy avenues, logistics routes, and high-traffic areas tend to breathe a heavier mix of plastic particles and associated contaminants.

Cities need to measure what previously went unnoticed

Leipzig joins records of atmospheric microplastics in cities like Shanghai, Kyoto, and Graz, with variable results depending on traffic, climate, and methodology. The study reinforces the need for standardized regional measurements.

Responses include tires with lower particle release, less abrasive pavements, road maintenance, public transport, safe bike lanes, and reducing dependence on private cars. Less traffic means less friction and fewer particles in the air.

Study available in the Journal Nature.

Scientists discover that tires are releasing invisible microplastics into city air, raising concerns about what we breathe every day.

Study conducted in Leipzig identified airborne microplastics in significant concentrations, with about 65% of the total associated with tire wear, expanding the debate on air quality, urban mobility, electric cars, and risks still poorly regulated to public health.

Tires appear as a central source of air pollution

How tire wear reaches the air we breathe

Electric cars reduce gases, but still use tires

Environmental risk goes beyond the lungs

Cities need to measure what previously went unnoticed

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Scientists discover that tires are releasing invisible microplastics into city air, raising concerns about what we breathe every day.

Study conducted in Leipzig identified airborne microplastics in significant concentrations, with about 65% of the total associated with tire wear, expanding the debate on air quality, urban mobility, electric cars, and risks still poorly regulated to public health.

Tires appear as a central source of air pollution

How tire wear reaches the air we breathe

Electric cars reduce gases, but still use tires

Environmental risk goes beyond the lungs

Cities need to measure what previously went unnoticed

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

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Scientists have discovered a hidden underwater “portal” beneath the largest glacier in East Antarctica, capable of carrying warm water to the ice base; Totten drains a colossal basin with the potential to raise sea levels by more than 3.5 meters.

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