Tire pollution is the new environmental emergency of the 21st century. Don't call me exaggerated, I've been saying this for a long time: How would you define an invisible enemy made of microscopic particles that detach from the tires of our cars with every kilometer traveled? A toxic cocktail of synthetic rubber and hundreds of chemical additives that is contaminating the global ecosystem.
Behind the plastic “skirts”, which attract all the attention, the threat of pollution from tires is even more subtle. It grows in the shadows, ignored by most but already present in our lives: for this reason it should be treated as a category in itself.
The hidden dimension of tire pollution
The data is disconcerting: Every year, vehicles from all over the world release approximately 6 million tons of tire fragments. These tiny pieces of plastic, generated by normal consumption while driving, accumulate in the soil, rivers, lakes and even in our food.
The most recent research they detected chemical substances derived from tires in most human urine samples analyzed. An alarming signal that demonstrates how this type of pollution is already penetrating our bodies, even if there is no certainty about the dispersion distance of these particles and their accumulation areas.
Tire particles represent 28% of microplastics entering the global environment: a significant contributor to pollution, too often overlooked in environmental discussions. And they are everywhere: under internal combustion engines as well as electric cars.
A toxic cocktail of chemical additives
The composition of tires is more complex than you might imagine. It is not just natural and synthetic rubber, but a sophisticated mix which includes hundreds of chemical additives, each with potential harmful effects on the environment.
Zinc oxide, which constitutes about 0,7% of the weight of a tire, It is essential for the product's shelf life but highly toxic to fish and other aquatic life: it compromises ecosystems even in minimal quantities.
Particularly worrying, moreover, is the 6PPD, an additive that protects tires from cracking. When exposed to air and water, it turns into 6PPD-quinone, a compound linked to mass fish die-offs.
Tire pollution, the weight of the problem
Tire pollution is subject to size. Heavier vehicles, including trucks, the SUVs and electric cars with their particularly heavy batteries consume tires more quickly, generating a greater quantity of microplastic particles.
The automotive industry experts Nick Molden e Felix Leach suggest the introduction of weight-based taxes according to the “polluter pays” principle. An approach that could incentivize the design of lighter vehicles and motivate consumers to make greener choices. What do you think?
Towards concrete solutions
The situation requires immediate action on multiple fronts. The European regulatory framework, as the upcoming Euro 7 emissions standard, represents a starting point for the control of tyre emissions.
Innovation in design of tires, and eco-friendly alternatives to zinc oxide and other materials such as 6PPD, could significantly reduce environmental damage. Creating a global panel of scientific and policy experts, similar to the IPCC for climate or the IPBES for biodiversity, could further coordinate research and regulatory efforts.
A growing challenge
With over 2 billion of tires produced each year to equip increasingly heavy and numerous cars, the problem is only set to get worse. The environmental toll will increase unless we specifically recognize and address this threat.
Measures such as weight-based taxation and innovations in eco-tyres would not only reduce pollution, but also pave the way for more sustainable transport systems. The question is not whether we can afford to act, but whether we can afford not to.
