Where has all the rubber gone?
Posted by srig8@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 228 comments
Vehicle tyres are consumable because as you drive, the rubber disintegrates thus lessening the tread on the carcass until a certain legal depth is reached, and then that tyre is changed.
My question is thus:
Where does all the rubber go?
You don’t see pools of it on the roadside, so where is it?
Every-Reflection-974@reddit
And that's why electric cars only solve a small part of the car problem. We need to move towards other forms of transport for some of our journeys.
illwrks@reddit
I wonder if electric cars make this specific problem worse as they are generally heavier, so I guess they wear down tyres quicker.
ldn-ldn@reddit
No, they don't. EVs use harder tyres which wear slower and regenerative breaking reduces brake dust. They are better no matter how you look at them.
illwrks@reddit
Thats interesting, if they wear less I wonder why regular cars don’t use harder tyres then?
ldn-ldn@reddit
Because harder tyres provide less grip. Grip can be increased by either making tyres softer or by making cars heavier. Grip is a function of car's weight (which is actually a force vector, but whatever, ELI5 here) and friction coefficient (basically, how soft the rubber is).
So heavier cars use harder tyres to have the same grip as lighter cars on softer tyres. It all balances out in the end and of you have the same tyre performance, the wear will be basically the same.
richard0cs@reddit
Indeed, but they are much, much better for brake dust due to regeneration.
Brilliant_Sound_5565@reddit
Yea, same hybrids. I drive a diesel, but it weighs 1.9 tons so I presume also makes a fair bit of rubber particles
the_man_inTheShack@reddit
They have harder wearing tyres to compensate for the heavier weight so tyre life is approx the same. My Jaguar XF had significantly worse tyre wear than my MG5, although the Jaguar is around 150kg heavier. Probably because it had sexier tyres 😉
Racing_Fox@reddit
Absolutely not
IainMCool@reddit
School children's lungs and waterways.
hoody13@reddit
How does it know to only target school children?
IainMCool@reddit
Why do you imagine I said it targets them?
hoody13@reddit
Cause you said school children’s lungs specifically, not just everyone’s
IainMCool@reddit
I didn't say specifically. I highlighted one group. You projected the rest.
hoody13@reddit
“School children’s lungs”. Yes you did.
IainMCool@reddit
Did I say "Exclusively school children"?
Self-awareness not your forte?
hoody13@reddit
Why specify school children if you don’t exclusively mean them? Perhaps you’d benefit from joining them in class 😂
ldn-ldn@reddit
AI
ZuckDeBalzac@reddit
They have the purest of lungs
Racing_Fox@reddit
Good thing I’m not a school child I guess
doctorgibson@reddit
thank god I'm not in school, I'm tyre dust free 😌
travelingwhilestupid@reddit
in the air, in your lungs
FlakeyBeano@reddit
It's why electric cars aren't as green as people think. Still better than ice though.
Dolgar01@reddit
True.
And that’s the thing. If we need personal transport (and we do) then take the better option.
firthy@reddit
And mostly the water supply.
Raychao@reddit
Dolphin placentas, human baby brains.
MJLDat@reddit
As long as no one is putting coffee down road drains then it’s ok.
2infinitiandblonde@reddit
I got that reference
MJLDat@reddit
What got me was how absurd that fine was, all sorts of shit goes down road drains day by day. What harm is coffee?
No_North_8484@reddit
I like to keep tyre compounds (some of which is rubber) in my children’s brains. They like to play in the school which is by the road. Their noses are closer to the ground and their lungs are smaller than mine, so it helps!
pySSK@reddit
It makes them bouncier, so that’s that’s an added plus.
MrAnderson69uk@reddit
And then they can pick and chew from the rubber floored outdoor play areas too! Lol
sharpied79@reddit
Not through my reverse osmosis filter it ain't 😉
Dolgar01@reddit
Hence why the air got noticeably clearer and cleaner during lockdown. An unexpected but nice side effect.
This_Suit8791@reddit
No that was because less car fumes more than anything
n3m0sum@reddit
It was a combination of both. There was a massive reduction in sub 10 micron particles. These are cinciderd the more dangerous particulate pollution as they can get deeper into the lungs.
The majority of these don't come from combustion anymore, they come from tyres and brake dust.
SlackHacky@reddit
This tyre and brake dust have been proven to be as bad if not worse than some emissions,
namur17056@reddit
Exactly why I think the zero emissions from the electric vehicles is an outright lie
iwantfutanaricumonme@reddit
There are almost zero brake dust emissions at least.
n3m0sum@reddit
Yes, precisely because it generates those very small particles.
I actually work I pharmaceutical manufacturing. Specifically in inhalation medicine. We aim to generate medicine particles in these ranges. Because they are so effective at penetrating deep into the lungs.
Good for dissolved medicine, terrible for undissolved irritants like rubber and brake dust.
namur17056@reddit
The world briefly healed before the cancer returned
awm22@reddit
Indeed.
Wondered where microplastics came from - (yes tyres are composite compounds and sadly the largest contributor… sigh.)
maggiemayfish@reddit
In your balls
manc_franc@reddit
Koff koff
Shitelark@reddit
Yeah, so, um, wait a second...
Jacktheforkie@reddit
And your balls
J_Class_Ford@reddit
Wtf i thought we should change the air in our lungs. But we can keep it.
rose-a-ree@reddit
Ricky_Martins_Vagina@reddit
I can't see this without hearing the Matrix Farts edit from like day one of the internet 😂
Milam1996@reddit
Air pollution. 3-7% of ALL particles 2.5 are from tyres. They’re the worst particles for your lungs. One of many reasons why asthma and lung cancer rates are a lot higher in cities.
IainMCool@reddit
And then drivers cry when there's a 20mph limit
stocksy@reddit
Have 20 MPH limits been proven to deliver an environmental benefit? I’m not asking to be provocative, genuinely curious if anyone knows.
tobotic@reddit
Yes. They contribute towards a modal shift. Roads feel safer so people are more likely to cycle and walk, which has knock on environmental benefits.
2xw@reddit
Sounds like 20mph limits is the non-idesl compromise when pedestrianisation woild be better
Rastapopolos-III@reddit
Who the hell is not walking anywhere because of the scary 30mph cars?
7952@reddit
Not less scary, just more enjoyable, less nuisance.
Funny how some drivers find the speed difference hugely noticeable but think pedestrians wouldn't notice thing.
HighOnOnionFarts@reddit
Why is that funny? Can you drive?
SnooMacarons9618@reddit
I think people are really bad at judging the difference in time though.
I drive around 10 miles to the rail station in the morning, mostly NSL country roads. If I drive at 60 it's a ten minute journey. If I go 50 it's a 12 minute journey. That two minutes is effectively *nothing*, but 60 feels a lot quicker. I leave pretty early, so the road is mostly empty. It's not unusual to see someone bombing along, I mean, I know those roads really well, but still, I am a lot better prepared to deal with something unexpected at 50 than at 60.
lost_send_berries@reddit
The difference between 20 and 30 is a lot bigger.
Going from 30 to 20 means spending 50% more time. (Ignoring reasons to slow down like junctions and lights)
SnooMacarons9618@reddit
Absolutely, the lower the speed the bigger the time delta. But also realistically, how far are you likely travelling in a 20 or 30 mph area? Where I am it is just through small towns, where it's either real quick ( a few miles), or the speed limit isn't the thing that slows you down (traffic, junctions, etc).
So in real terms, for most people I suspect the actual journey time isn't particularly different. Caveat though - I don't live in a city, so I don't have a visceral feel for how far people really travel in these areas.
MMAgeezer@reddit
I can drive, and yes it is funny.
HighOnOnionFarts@reddit
I said "why is that funny?"
Of course drivers are going to find the difference between 20 and 30 more noticeable because they're the ones driving.
Voeld123@reddit
Reading comprehension issues.
They're saying that the pedestrians can also tell.
AskUK-ModTeam@reddit
Don't be a dick to each other, or other subreddits, places, or people.
Don't be a dick to each other, or other subreddits, places, or people. AskUK contains a variety of ages, experiences, and backgrounds - consider not everyone is operating on the same level or background as you. Listen to others before you respond, and be courteous when doing so.
Whatiii@reddit
As a pedestrian its hugely noticeable.
The noise from cars that are driving past you is greatly reduce when they are going slower.
The ease of using a road safely is also significantly increased with slower moving cars and other traffic.
My walk to work would be far nicer if drivers were going slower, if the limits were reduce to 20 from 30 it would be far nicer than the volume of cars reducing by 50%. Especially as drivers seem to love speeding up to the next car to then brake and sit behind them. There is a huge difference in with even lower traffic volumes the cars going at 30 compared to 20 where I last lived.
Yes I notice it when I drive, but I actually notice it more as a pedestrian, the constant great noise of the cars going past. All of the drivers who will go 35 in the 30 because "you don't get caught going 5 over" would would instead be doing 25 in the 20. The ease of using the road as a pedestrian as drivers somehow seem to acknowledge your existance more when they go slower. Perhaps its because they have more time to see you as human and not just an obstacle.
HighOnOnionFarts@reddit
Why would you make up obvious bullshit like this?
I support reducing car use, but what you're doing here doesn't help anyone.
Whatiii@reddit
Which bit is the obvious bullshit?
The part where I say my experience having lived in London with 20mph limits and a lot more traffic, and compare it to where I currently am with 30 limits and less traffic?
HighOnOnionFarts@reddit
All of it. It's plain to see from these and other things you've said that you are an anti-car person and aren't approaching this topic objectively.
People like you will say anything to justify lowering the speed limit even though research intended to support 20 speed limits actually shows it has no impact on people's habits!
Of course. The other reason I can tell you're full of shit is because all drivers are also pedestrians!
If I'm going into the city centre, I walk to the station and take a train in, because that's quicker, and cheaper than driving.
If I want to go to the supermarket, it's either a 30-minute walk each way, or a 7-minute drive. There's no question: I'm taking the car every time. That has nothing to do with the noise or speed of traffic putting me off walking, it's just because driving takes significantly less time.
Whatiii@reddit
Because I disagree with you does not mean I am anti-car. I like driving, I like using a car, I know the convenience of it. But I also, especially since I got rid of the car can see the negative impacts of the car far more clearly. I can compare my behaviour while I had a car, and after I got rid of it quite clearly. I still drive sometimes, I rent a car for those journeys. This is primarily a financial decision, but I personally don't want to go back to having a car and feeling if I don't use it for short (1 mile) journeys that save about 5 minutes after finding parking and everything involved with setting off that I am wasting it. Maybe I am anti-car, but thats because I experience the negatives far more than the positives of them, and my previous experience of the positives of a car in an urban environment doesn't outweigh the negatives.
Ideally for me small towns and cities would have free park and ride, we would have free local busses (not trains) and we would try to reduce car traffic as much as possible. This of course would involve lowering speed limits, there is no reason while sitting down in an air conditioned metal shell you need to travel faster. If it rains as a pedestrian I get wet, as a car drive ryou turn on the windscreen wipers. If its hot as a pedestrian I sweat, as a car driver you turn up the AC, if its cold as a pedestrian I shiver (or walk faster) you as a car driver turn up the heating, all while remaining seated comfortably. Is spending 10 minutes extra on a journey seated comfortably in your climate controlled shell really such a big issue to make those not in that shell more comfortable?
Is sitting in a metal cocoon social? Do you smile, nod, acknowledge anyone you pass that faces you while driving? Would you tell someone when you are in a car, and they are also in a car that the next road is blocked, or would you leave them to find it out themselves?
Do you disagree that cars are loud and unpleasnat to be around? Would you want to spend time in a grass car park being surrounded by cars, or would you prefer a park surrounded by people doing their own things?
Many drivers may be pedestrians, but if your pedestrian experience is going from a parking spot to a front door of a shop and back, its hardly a pedestrian experience of being around cars. There are many drivers who don't walk anywhere, they will spend longer driving and finding the car parking spot than walking a longer distance.
Whatiii@reddit
Why is it shown with multiple examples that removing cars from high streets increases use and shop sales compared to adding more road capacity.
Cars take up a lot of space to move 1 person from one place to another. They are anti-social by their very nature. They dominate the space they are in, expect everyone to make way for them, make a lot of noise and have to be treated as dangerous.
Towns and cities would be significantly better if more people walked or cycled in them and less used cars for short journies. Main reason I am pro free bus travel for all is that not paying to use the bus for the day suddenly makes it a much more attractive option. And now that you are not using the car you will walk short distances rather than drive that mile as you don't have an extra mile on the way back to get to the car.
Yes I sometimes drive, I got rid of the car when I moved to a town and could, if I need to drive I rent a car, most journeys I can make without needing a car though as I located to somewhere I could, it was actually something I wanted.
IainMCool@reddit
People don't do it because of perceived and actual safety issues. Slowing cars down and separating riders and walkers makes it safer and nicer for everyone outside of the car. That then encourages more people to do it.
Have you ever actually paid attention to the noise and danger of cars?
I'm trying to drive less and often walk or ride to the local shop instead of getting in the car. Mostly quiet but there's a 200m unavoidable stretch of busy road. It's only 30mph limit, but the close passes are ridiculous and I can't hear my my headphones because of the noise. It was an actual eye opener for me. Genuinely surprised how awful it is, because of cars. I'm now trying to not be part of the problem.
stevee05282@reddit
It's more subconscious than that
mynameisollie@reddit
People that don’t want to get squashed presumably.
Any-Republic-4269@reddit
People are more likely to cycle and let their children walk to school? It's not all abled bodied adults who want to be more active
Purplepeal@reddit
Also slower vehicles have much less kinetic energy. Tyre rubber is a product of cars gaining and losing kinetic energy: stopping starting and also cornering and maintaining speed against hills wind etc.
escapingfromelba@reddit
What research shows that?
tobotic@reddit
https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/media/azeleje3/end-of-project-report-20mph.pdf
escapingfromelba@reddit
You've not actually read that link. It is about a,walking to school pilot, and doesn't show a correlation with speed.
si-gnalfire@reddit
Common sense
escapingfromelba@reddit
That isn't evidence.
HighOnOnionFarts@reddit
So no then, because nobody is actually doing that.
tobotic@reddit
Living Streets' WOW Walk to School Challenge did a walk to school challenge while the Welsh government was trialling 20 mph speed limits in some areas.
During the challenge they found that 74% of kids started walking to school in 20 mph areas, but 67% in 30 mph areas.
https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/media/azeleje3/end-of-project-report-20mph.pdf
HighOnOnionFarts@reddit
So actually promoting and incentivising active travel had a far larger effect than the speed limit did.
According to this, the biggest shift in behaviour was actually in the control group, from "Driving" to "Park & Stride", which is literally just driving with extra steps. Also highlights a flaw with the research that the paper itself recognises:
Lt_Muffintoes@reddit
A tiny one
Milam1996@reddit
That’s per car. Add it up over every journey across every vehicle and it’s a lot.
Lt_Muffintoes@reddit
Thats not how percentages work
IainMCool@reddit
It is how cumulative effects work
Sqwek@reddit
Struggling to find anything on PM2.5 emmisions, but there is a reported reduction in PM10 particle emmisions, so it is fairly safe to assume PM2.5 emmisions are also reduced. There is also a reduction in NOx emmisions. (we're talking approx 10% and under) However the biggest impact of reducing to 20mph is reducing traffic casualties, there is a massive reduction in death and injury.
A big issue is enforcement, you do not get any benefit if 20mph signs are put up without enforcement. There is a wide road by me that went down to 20mph, but even the police do not follow it.
https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m453/rr-0
https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-08/the-state-of-the-evidence-on-20mph-speed-limits-with-regards-to-road-safety-active-travel-and-air-pollution-impacts-august-2018.pdf
https://www.rospa.com/siteassets/documents/active-travel/20mph-zones-and-speed-limits-factsheet-2023.pdf
Oshova@reddit
Just leave the road covered in potholes. That appears to be the tactic round me. Hard to go over 20, even in the 30 sections.
Sqwek@reddit
Official term for potholes is "traffic calming measures".
Regular_Zombie@reddit
I'm not aware of any academic research (I also haven't looked for any) but it would make intuitive sense from first principles that lower speeds reduce the quantity of rubber shed by tyres. The lower the speed of the vehicle the lower the torque required to maintain that speed and it's the rubber biting into the road and shearing off that is tyre wear.
That said, the manner might change (maybe more pm2.5 Vs pm10) and the change from 30mph to 20mph for the purposes of tyre wear is likely minimal.
escapingfromelba@reddit
People are just making it up.
IainMCool@reddit
What Sqwek said.
When people talk about environmental benefits they normally get fixated on CO2. It's the particulates which cause the local problems (and noise - cars are noisy and noisier at higher speed).
A lot of the particulates are generated when accelerating, so getting up to 30 and then slowing down and then speeding up again, rather than 20 makes a difference.
By how much seems to be situational, but is a sound principle.
It's also one of the various benefits of lower limits in towns and cities.
Kaiisim@reddit
It's mostly for road safety, modern engines are designed to always be effiicent at any speed
dairylee@reddit
Yes
PersonalityExact7891@reddit
In your balls
richard0cs@reddit
It becomes part of the general dust and grime around the roads, washes off into the rivers, etc. Along with brake dust, screenwash, spilled oil, soot, and eroded road markings.
mynameisollie@reddit
And they’re not 100% natural rubber, there’s all sorts of other stuff in them. Not ideal.
superioso@reddit
For example, they're black because of carbon black, which is basically powered pure carbon.
OkVeterinarian197@reddit
And they are allowed to keep the ingredients secret because of ''competition'
Away_Shirt_5888@reddit
Well, we know they include cadmium
chemfem@reddit
Where are you getting that from? They contain all sorts of hazardous chemicals but not cadmium to my knowledge
Away_Shirt_5888@reddit
So, in all fairness I’m not able to find a specific source that states cadmium is prevalent in tyres. It may be outdated or I may be wrong. I did find this study, that states that cadmium can be used as a tracer element in the environment to monitor tyre wear, which is an indication that it may be/may have been used. But I will have to do more research as I may be wrong!
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412023003203
chemfem@reddit
Yeah cadmium has been heavily restricted for some time now. The antioxidant 6-PPD is one of the biggest pollution issues from tyre treads now, but currently all alternatives lead to more tyre degradation so it’s a bit of a catch-22
Away_Shirt_5888@reddit
Time for me to update my knowledge then! Appreciate the correction 👌
BlueHoopedMoose@reddit
Do they need to be black - like, does the carbon black add anything structural or performance?
superioso@reddit
Yes, it significantly increases the strength and wear resistance of rubber. There's a reason why you never see white rubber tires, and even tires with white walls use black rubber for the tread.
BlueHoopedMoose@reddit
Thanks for taking time to reply!!
PreoccupiedParrot@reddit
Old natural rubber tyres seemingly had way better durability, you sometimes see old cars from the 90s which have sat with their original tyres and they just don't crack like modern plastic tyres do.
PerformerOk450@reddit
I bought a van to convert into a camper, did all the work on it and put it in for MOT, the only advisory it got was one of the tyres was from 2002 although it had zero cracks or degradation.
namur17056@reddit
A fair advisory I will say
PerformerOk450@reddit
That was 14 months ago, no problems so far
namur17056@reddit
I can tell you care for you vehicles. You don’t keep a vehicle that’s almost a quarter century old on the road by being careless!
AddWid@reddit
I think the harder rubbers were better for wear but worse for grip. A lot of sports tyres wear out quicker than economy tyres for the same reason. I think its a bit more complicated but generally softer rubber = more grip = safer
Sburns85@reddit
That’s the same for motorcycles. Softer tyres wear out faster but grip the road more
LeonardoW9@reddit
Pretty much. You see this in Formula 1, where the soft, medium and hard tyres are used depending on the track and strategy.
scarby2@reddit
They were plastic in the 90s too.
Actual natural rubber tyres perish significantly quicker in most conditions. They also wear down way faster.
superioso@reddit
All rubber cracks, it just depends what environment they've been exposed to and how much they've been used. Wear rate and grip are inversely related, so better grip = higher wear rate, and more exposure to UV means more cracking.
That and I'm going to say absolutely no very old cars have original tires, they just have new tires that are made to look in keeping with the old car.
SpurdoEnjoyer@reddit
Every product starts from natural resources. Car tires are 0% "natural", the chemicals you need to add during manufacturing are extra nasty but essential to make them work
luckeratron@reddit
Don't forgwt the Macdonald's wrappers.
FewAnybody2739@reddit
It rubs into the road, allowing F1 drivers to go quicker round corners.
JoPOWz@reddit
Just remember to drive through it at the end of your commute to pick up the marbles. Gotta have the right weight when you reach your driveway
Anhilator26@reddit
Interesting tidbit- they actually don’t need to do that anymore with this set of regulations. They weigh the car without the tyres now so need to pick up anymore
neverendum@reddit
When I worked in motorsport 20 years ago, they would come in off-line to pick up the marbles to increase the ride-height by a couple of mm. The scrutineer in parc ferme had a roller go-nogo gauge that he would slide under. Not sure how it works in F1.
JoPOWz@reddit
That is a great change. It always felt a bit like weighing a boxer before a fight but letting them put stuff in their pockets first…
doc1442@reddit
I mean boxers do the equivalent of that - often fast before a weigh in to be under weight.
BerryOk966@reddit
All the more for the fans to pick up after the race.
MysticSmeg@reddit
That’s a good idea. Was rough when poor old George got a DQ at Spa for incredible tyre management. At least they got something right in the latest regs at least…..
inbruges99@reddit
Poor George…
jaymatthewbee@reddit
Remember though when it’s rainy and wet the rubbered in parts will be more slippery, so there is more grip off the normal rubbered in line.
spikeboy4@reddit
Oh yeah, I remember that from my theory test. I guess some of it does just rub into the road, at least until it rains
mosaic-aircraft@reddit
It's a major environmental hazard that we don't have an answer for yet - drive less, use lighter vehicles. Veritasium released a video on natural rubber and it's truly fascinating. I highly recommend.
Worried-Penalty8744@reddit
You know you see those signs on the motorway sometimes “speed limit for air quality”
Well it’s not just for tailpipe emissions. And that’s why as an EV driver it frustrates me when you get the “but why should I slow down because I drive an electric car” smoothbrains.
zacharyswanson@reddit
I was one of those smooth brains up until right now. Thank you for educating me.
MrSparklesan@reddit
Live on a 4 lane road… it’s in our air filters which run 24/7 cause otherwise everything in the house is covered in fine black dust.
EnvironmentalPay8041@reddit
If you mean the remaining tyre that you have to change . Google Kuwait tyre graveyard . . Which often end up in flames . Like 70% of used tyres in the world end up there
Iwant2beebetter@reddit
Microplastics
It's a problem
Upstairs-Balance9846@reddit
your brain
HorrorAccomplished78@reddit
It’s washed down through the sewer system and is filtered through the filter beds, same as your poop. The sewer farm introduce bacteria into the poop and rubber sludge filter beds. The bacteria breaks down the rubber (and poop) into microscopic sized molecules. Then it’s pumped out into your favourite beach swimming area.
Puzzled_Cream1798@reddit
They burn them for energy in India or somewhere
Aeysir69@reddit
Fair bit in your lungs…
dylanbooth78@reddit
Fun fact, the pollution from car tyres is worse for the environment than the pollution from the exhaust!
CautiousAd5515@reddit
Imagine the fume, when asbestos made up brake pads.
steven71@reddit
Doesn't some of it end up on the roads?
whatatwit@reddit
Have you ever wondered what makes tyres black? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_black?wprov=sfti1#Common_uses
HospitalDue2983@reddit
I'm in drainage for National Highways. It's called surface runoff & along with other contaminants, will go through natural filtration systems which (attempt to) capture them.
We use various methods of capture, be it filter stone, reed beds, interceptor tanks etc.
Unfortunately, particles will make their way into the watercourses, but to be honest, there's (literally) worse shit than rubber micro beads in there.
caniuserealname@reddit
You don't see pools of it because it doesn't liquify, it doesn't come off in noticeable chunks. It grinds off.
Think of the road as slow acting sand paper. The rubber 'dust' that's ground off your tyres goes on the road, but it's blown away. It mixes with all the other sources of dust and muck in our lives, mixing in the debris on the side of the road, blowing into the surrounding soil, mixing into the water.
You breath it, if you eat or drink near even a moderately busy road you're eating it.
signol_@reddit
Airborne particulates..
SupportNo9543@reddit
I work roadside, the layers of silt by motorways etc are invariably black. There it goes.
hms_indefatigable@reddit
People breathe it in. Read this study "Car Harm", I've highlighted the relevant part. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692324000267#:\~:text=7.2.1.-,Tyres,-One%20vehicle%20component
Jankypox@reddit
The air, the water, the food chain, and inside your body. Sleep well tonight thinking about that.
PetitPxl@reddit
in your human cells
Brilliant_Sound_5565@reddit
It's actually an environmental issue. The focus has been on emissions without really a serious look at tyres
StayFree1649@reddit
Lots of information here, along with an interesting potential solution: https://thetyrecollective.com/
Another issue that is much worse with larger/heavier cars
lukey666lukey@reddit
you have been breathing it in all your life.
sleepydevs@reddit
Tire rubber accounts for anything between 25% and 45% of microplastic plastic production, depending on who you ask. I'm endlessly surprised it's not discussed more.
I can't help but think that future generations will look back on cars and tires in the same way we think about asbestos snow on TV sets today... utter madness.
paradoxbound@reddit
Micro plastics
Lebster_@reddit
🎶 Long time passing... 🎶
TheodoreEDamascus@reddit
The micro particulates from all cars, electric cars included, comes mostly from their brakes and tyres. These have as big of an impact on air quality as engine emissions.
Difficult_Relative33@reddit
It’s a natural substance made from trees. It’s biodegradable
zombieroadrunner@reddit
One place it ends up is underground telecoms chambers. It washes in there with rainwater, silt and everything else and creates a thick black sludge that sticks to fucking everything!
Dru2021@reddit
It’s stored in the balls, along with microplastics and pee.
Front_Address_2144@reddit
I live in a flat next to a fairly busy road, and if I leave the windows open all day a very fine layer of black dust/soot will settle on almost all the surfaces in my living room. If I leave a glass of water unattended I'll no longer drink it as I found after an hour or so it has a funny taste to it, even though I can't see anything floating in it
smithereens153@reddit
Globally, tire wear is responsible for 28% of all microplastics entering the environment
Lemmyheadwind@reddit
Into the sewers, water courses, and topsoil.
CarpeCyprinidae@reddit
in pools, on the roadside. The fact you dont see it doesnt mean it isnt there. Worn down tyres dont look black. Its the greyish-brownish sandy dust by which all roads are lined
IsySquizzy@reddit
The abrasion between tyres and road surface creates microscope particles (tyre particles). Tyres are one of the most prevalent sources of microplastics.
diond09@reddit
I'm surprised classrooms aren't swimming in eraser shavings.
Shitelark@reddit
I absorb it into my carapace.
RaspberryJammm@reddit
I used to walk into town and cross below a motorway. It probably did me more harm than good, if I wore open topped shoes my feet would be black with tyre particles. I developed a debilitating chronic illness involving my immune and nervous systems. Make of that what you will.
Spiracle@reddit
Tyres are like old lightbulbs in that a more durable product can be produced but there's no current legislative incentive to do so. Lightbulb manufacturers bought up and killed the ultra long life bulb technologies because lightbulb companies made money from selling more lightbulbs. Tyre companies similarly make money by selling more tyres.
If we moved to a tyre subscription model, say a contract for 50K miles of tyre over 5 years, then the tyre companies would be incentivised to design and supply a tyre that lasted fifity thousand miles as they wouldn't have to replace it over the course of the contract.
I believe that a lot of HGV tyres are already supplied on a subscription.
ARobertNotABob@reddit
You do see the "marbles" in Formula One / Nascar (etc) racing, but those tracks are swept between races so it/they are much easier to see.
You don't see them on the streets because the wear is considerably less, and it's smaller, so it just "invisibly" mixes in with the rest of the street dirt.
Or as others point out, they're small enough marbles to be particulates in the wind.
salomesrevenge@reddit
its all been rubbed
cognitiveglitch@reddit
Tyre wear is mostly ground pollution. Tyres shed a high volume of material, but only 1% to 5% of tyre wear particles actually become airborne PM_2.5. The remaining 95% takes the form of larger rubber fragments that settle directly into road dust, soil, and waterways as microplastics.
Then there are brake pads. Traditional brake pads shed less total mass, but over 40% of brake dust immediately becomes airborne PM_2.5. In stop-and-go city traffic, brake dust is traditionally the single largest source of non-exhaust air pollution.
cognitiveglitch@reddit
Also interesting - while EVs get vilified for having 20% more tyre wear vs ICE (due to their additional weight) in terms of airborne particulate emissions this is often more than made up for by regen braking and consequence lack of brake pad material loss.
https://airqualitynews.com/health/brake-wear-particles-the-greatest-health-threat-from-road-transport-emissions/
Interesting reading.
audigex@reddit
Yeah I touch the brakes on my EV about once a week, after 3 years the brakes on my last one still looked practically brand new
Stunning-Pudding-514@reddit
Every night the councils go around all the roads with giant vacuums and collect all the bits of rubber from the tyres, they sell it back to tyre manufacturers so it can be made into new tyres again.
J_Class_Ford@reddit
A lot builds up on the road surface. Good rain a lot ends up in the water courses. I guess a lot ends up in the atmosphere.
dugerz@reddit
You think that's air you're breathing now? Hmmph
- Morpheus
pixiepython@reddit
Wherever the cowboys are is my guess.
-C80-@reddit
I haven’t heard that song in years! Yet I read your reference to it and it’s stuck in my head.
pixiepython@reddit
Thank you kind lady! 🫡 I read the title to the tune of the song, and had to comment!
Millefeuille-coil@reddit
In the neighbours extension then, cowboys built that
GolfTraditional8113@reddit
Tyres on EV’s typically wear 30% quicker than normal petrol/diesel vehicles so eventually it’s going to be a big health issue in towns and cities.
Whatiii@reddit
But EVs are still much nicer to be around. So much quieter especially if going at lower speeds. They also will give off less brake dust due to regenerative braking which will need to be factored in. Important when considering most brake usage is in towns/cities with stop/start traffic.
GolfTraditional8113@reddit
Tyre particle wear has always been an issue but emissions from combustion engines has trumped the problem. It will be a future air quality problem when there are few if any petrol/ diesel engined vehicles left.
Something else to be taxed on!
cognitiveglitch@reddit
Is that offset by regen reducing brake dust?
C4PT-pA5Tq@reddit
Micro plastics.
w3woody@reddit
I used to live in Los Angeles. It becomes a fine particulate dust that settles on everything and is sticky and gross.
Familiar9709@reddit
Good question. It's really bad when you think about it
QuentinUK@reddit
There’s a load of rubber and plastic in the ocean spinning around forever. The North Pacific does gyre and gambol in the wave. Great Pacific Garbage Patch just off the Californian coast.
AdPrior1417@reddit
It's not like F1 where marbles build up around the road. It's much much finer thsn that, really. It ends up everywhere, on everything. General grime, but largely in the air.
Periseaur@reddit
The ocean. Up to 78% of all microplastics in the ocean are from car tyres
https://e360.yale.edu/features/tire-pollution-toxic-chemicals
Conscious-Citron2904@reddit
It's in the Chicane and Saltwater
Beartato4772@reddit
Watch a motor race, you absolutely see pools of it on the roadside.
But road tyres disintegrate slower in smaller pieces, hence the other replies correctly saying "Air".
Steamrolled777@reddit
skid marks.
awjre@reddit
About 25% of all micro-plastics in the environment are tyre dust https://bergensia.com/car-tires-shed-a-quarter-of-all-microplastics-in-the-environment-urgent-action-is-needed/
EchoesOfZhivago@reddit
In the land, sea and air, unfortunately.
DIY_at_the_Griffs@reddit
Microplastics are everywhere
NoYesterday9298@reddit
Check out desert tire fires. They pile them all up and just burn them, plumes of black smoke, but we don't get to hear about that!
KiwiNo2638@reddit
Microplastics. Pollution. Into waterways. Into the sea. Into food. Into your lungs. Into your blood.
-Rhymenocerous-@reddit
Little pieces rub off over time.
When you drive over a rough road surface, mostly when you corner.
Dry steering will rub it off little by little also.
Tyres mostly wear down from scrubbing from poor alignment. So id you want your brand spanking new Pilot Sports to last. Then go get a 4 wheel alignment done after theyre fitted.
Sending it from standing starts is a big contributing factor if your wheel spinning it off the line as well as harsh braking events.
If youre constantly tailgating and having to anchor it because your distracted thats a quick way to scrub off the rubber also.
ddmf@reddit
A lot of what's classed as microplastic is the bits of rubber off tyres - they account for 28% apparently
Aman-R-Sole@reddit
On the road. Which then gets washed away into the drainage and ultimately into the land and oceans.
BronnOP@reddit
Same place the brake dust goes, into the air and water.
There are studies should that people living within X miles of a motorway die far sooner than those that don’t. It’s because of all the consumable parts from cars.
No_Chemist2922@reddit
Microparticles, they eventually end up in your food, water, and bloodstream.
spaceshipcommander@reddit
Mostly in the drains eventually, via the air.
cypherdious@reddit
They form dusts and sometimes time sticks to asphalt.
Enolator@reddit
IIRC, it's partially responsible for the pm2.5 population, which is small enough to enter the blood stream via the lungs. It ends up being less of an issue for lung disease compared to heart or cardiovascular disease.
TomVonServo@reddit
The reality is that it isn’t really “rubber” these days. It’s about 50% composites and polymers now. So it’s in your lungs, your food…the microplastics infesting every corner of the natural world now.
StruttyB@reddit
Apparently only 19% of tyre now consists of natural rubber.
txe4@reddit
It's dust.
Except for when an HGV's remould delaminates, and then it's a great big mess by the roadside.
Fun fact, if you calculate the thickness of a tyre vs its circumference and life in miles, you leave behind roughly an atom's thickness per revolution. Obviously the actual particles generated are larger than that.
BillWilberforce@reddit
It wears off in small bits, then when it rains it ends up in rivers and streams, where it's harmful to aquatic life.
Few_Regret9608@reddit
It is the air pollution you see, that black sooth that sits over everything eventually. Fun fact of the future: electric cars go through tires way faster than regular cars (but they do not use brake pads that much) - but expect more of that stuff in the air - hurah!
Particular-Bid-1640@reddit
The latest Euro emissions deal with this, interestingly. Instead of internal combustion emissions they are tackling tyre and brake dust
tsdesigns@reddit
You get recycled rubber products - shredded rubber chippings to use as a playground base for example, or even the playground bases they use in playparks etc are generally recycled rubber.
But yeah, probably a lot less of it gets recycled than gets used.
UsernameRemorse@reddit
Same place the rubber off your trainers goes
Chrolan1988@reddit
It is a slow degradation of the tyres, it doesn’t come off in lumps, it is friction on the tarmac that wares the tyres down over time and it comes off in very small amounts.
Think of trainers, the soles are usually the same material, the grip on the soles wears down over time.
Cant really be compared to F1 tyres where the compound is totally different, a much softer stick materiel that is designed strictly for performance not any real endurance.
I am not sure if your question is serious tbh?
Frequent-Cobbler4232@reddit
Pollution, it’s a major factor in overall car pollution, alongside brake dust.
DutchOfBurdock@reddit
Watch formula one or touring car races, look closely at the track. You'll see rubber debris on the sides and black marks on the tarmac itself. This happens more obviously due to how fast the rubber is being worn. Same happens on the roads, just to a much lesser degree
SmartPipe3882@reddit
The Lord God Almighty is responsible for cleaning it up, he rinses it all away on a semi-regular basis.
bumford11@reddit
Praise be!
LockedinYou@reddit
Micro particles everywhere. Gets washed down the drain and into the system...
amacadabra@reddit
It's in the rivers, the soil, the air.
dospc@reddit
It comes off in tiny particles which cause air pollution.
Fruitpicker15@reddit
Have a look at your car's cabin filter next time you change it. I swap mine annually and it's always clogged up with black dust.
Jamz3k@reddit
You ever see all that black dust on the side of roads? Especially noticeable on motorways, that’s rubber.
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