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Diss. (sammanfattning) Ås : Norges miljø- og biovitenskapelige universitet, 2024

Tire wear particles (TWP) are a major source of microplastics that are mainly transported by stormwater from roads to the environment. Their risk has not yet been sufficiently evaluated, mainly because of the lack of suitable analytical methods for identifying and measuring their environmental concentrations. However, the ecotoxicological effects of TWP or chemical substances present in, or on, the particles are widely reported. For example, recent findings attributed the mass mortality of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in the Pacific Northwest region of the USA to the acute toxicity of a by-product of a tire manufacturing additive. Acute toxicity to other fish species such as brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is also reported. Moreover, TWP are persistent in the environment while their generation is increasing, which calls for action to limit their environmental spread. Conversely, stormwater management solutions are becoming a growing fixture in the road environment for their multipurpose role in controlling peak runoff and reducing pollution. However, knowledge of the effect of stormwater management solutions in removing TWP is limited. The overall goal of this Ph.D. study was to introduce a suitable analytical method for detecting and quantifying TWP in the environment and measuring the actual concentrations of TWP in sediments of stormwater management solutions associated with roads.