Next Article in Journal
Generations and Branded Content from and through the Internet and Social Media: Modern Communication Strategic Techniques and Practices for Brand Sustainability—The Greek Case Study of LACTA Chocolate
Next Article in Special Issue
The Bibliometric Analysis of Microplastics in Soil Environments: Hotspots of Research and Trends of Development
Previous Article in Journal
Influence of Built Environment on Micromobility–Pedestrian Accidents
Previous Article in Special Issue
Microplastic Pollution in the Soil Environment: Characteristics, Influencing Factors, and Risks
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Sustainability
Volume 15
Issue 1
10.3390/su15010583
sustainability-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles thumb_up
...
Endorse textsms
...
Comment
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Review

Scientific Knowledge Mapping and Thematic Evolution for Tire Wear Particles

by
Wei Wu
1,2,
Jun Ma
1,2,*,
Dong Liu
1,2,
Qiao Xu
1,2 and
Gang Li
1,2,3,*
1
CAS Engineering Laboratory for Recycling Technology of Municipal Solid Waste, CAS Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Urban Environmental Observatory and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
2
Zhejiang Key Lab of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China
3
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010583
Submission received: 24 October 2022 / Revised: 11 December 2022 / Accepted: 26 December 2022 / Published: 29 December 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics in the Soil: Pollution and Sustainable Solutions)
Browse Figures
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

:
In recent years, with the continuous increase of car ownership per capita, tire wear particles (TWPs) from road tire wear have been widely detected in various environmental media, and their environmental behavior and influence have attracted wide attention. Using the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) as a literature search platform, we mapped the research progress of TWPs from publication trends, international cooperation, journal distribution, interdisciplinary areas, and research themes with scientific knowledge mapping methods. Publications in the TWP field have shown an increase year by year, with great contributions from researchers in the USA and Europe, but the efforts and progress of Chinese researchers cannot be ignored. Science of the Total Environment was the most active journal in this field, with 54 relevant articles published. The research area of TWPs was multidisciplinary in nature, with a focus on Environmental Science, Atmospheric Meteorology Science, and Environmental Engineering. The research topics were mainly composed of three thematic groups: suspended particulate matter, air pollution sources, and microplastics in the environment, and research hotspots shifted from particulate matter to microplastics over time. Future research needs to focus on the origin, properties, and transport and dispersion of TWPs in water, atmosphere, and soil environments and to analyze the environmental impacts and ecological risks.

1. Introduction

As a polymer compound with stable properties, plastic is extremely difficult to break down completely, and after a series of natural effects such as weathering, light, and radiation, it breaks down into plastic fragments with a particle size <5 mm, referred to as microplastics (MP, with a diameter <5 mm) [1,2,3]. The widespread distribution of MP in ecosystems has gradually permeated into every aspect of our lives [4]. The potential impact of MP on the health of aquatic and terrestrial organisms, including humans, through multiple exposure pathways such as food chains, drinking water, and air is considered to be an emerging global threats [5]. It is noteworthy that research on MP has generally been concentrated on thermoplastic materials, such as polyethylene or polystyrene, without considering elastomers such as rubber [6,7]. As early as 1966, researchers identified the presence of tire wear particles (TWPs) in roadside dust and investigated the TWP release process, which confirmed the existence of TWPs in road dust [8]. Although it is still under discussion whether TWPs are MP, tire particles account for 60% to 70% of ordinary MP released into the natural environment when TWPs smaller than 5 mm in size are classified as MP [9]. Therefore, the environmental risks of tire particles should not be underestimated [10,11,12]. Furthermore, among the different types of MP, synthetic rubber TWPs are currently considered to be the leading cause of microplastic pollution [13,14].
About 10% of plastics are produced in the automotive industry, most of which are used in the production of tires [15]. As the tires wear down, the generated TWPs are dispersed around the environment in different ways while bringing different secondary pollutants into nearby soils, streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans [16]. Automotive tires are mainly composed of polymers, including synthetic rubber (Polystyrene butadiene copolymer or Cis-1, 4-polybutadiene rubber), fillers (carbon black and silica), heavy metals (vulcanizates containing heavy metals such as lead and silver), tire oil (Polydimethylsiloxane), antioxidants (Diphenylamine and p-Phenylenediamine), and preservatives and various additives [17,18], with properties, functions, and environmental impacts varying among different polymers. For example, heavy metal additives do not combine well with rubber particles and are extremely difficult to degrade in the environment, which can endanger human health through ingestion or skin-to-skin exposure [19]. Once in the environment, TWPs can be exposed to UV radiation, physical friction with gravel and soil, and oxidation by ozone and other environmental substances, resulting in a series of aging transformations [20,21]. Aging alters the physicochemical properties of TWPs and affects the adsorption properties of these materials, which in turn affects the release of their endogenous heavy metals and various organic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) [22].
In the scientific literature, TWPs consist of tire tread and particulate matter from road dust, and the term “tire wear particles (TWPs)” is often used to refer to heterogeneous aggregates of “tire and road wear particles (TRWPs)” [22]. In this paper, we use TWPs to characterize particles in the environment that contain a mixture of tire and other road-related wear particles. Available studies sketch scientific progress in qualitatively estimating the deposition rates of TWPs [23], their occurrence in the environment and ecotoxicological effects [24], and the evaluation of potential effects of heavy metal pollution on terrestrial and aquatic organisms as well human beings [25]. Nevertheless, there has not been a comprehensive and systematic quantitative analysis of TWP research progress, which is still in the process of being comprehensively developed. In addition, a large and growing number of studies makes it difficult for a traditional literature review to predict research trends of this field. In this study, Web of science Core Collection (WOSCC) was used as a data source, and the scientific knowledge mapping method was used to statistically and visually analyze research articles published in the TWP field during 2000–2021, aiming to illustrate the research progress for TWPs from the perspective of international cooperation, journal and subject distribution, and research themes and evolution, as well as provide a methodological reference for related review studies in this domain.

2. Data and Methods

2.1. Data Source

We collected documents from the WOSCC and searched for them under the subject line “tire wear particles”. The document types were “articles” and “article reviews”, in English, and the article search timeframe was set from 2000 to 2021. After screening on the abstracts section, we eliminated papers with research directions on Computer Science Hardware Architecture and Nuclear Physics. A total of 499 valid documents were obtained. Literature record content exported a selection of full records with cited references, with records exported as tab-delimited files. The learning selection and learning flowchart are shown in Figure 1.

2.2. Data Analysis

This study counted the annual number of publications in the field of TWPs based on the WOSCC analysis function and analyzed the interannual trend of the number of published publications using Origin 9.2.1 software (Origin for OriginLab, Version 9.2.1, Northampton, MA, USA). Based on the 2021 edition of the WOSCC citation report, we counted the number of articles in the source journals and further analyzed the total citation frequency, average number of citations per article, and impact factor of the top ten journals in terms of number of publications. To begin with, the international cooperation model was based on national units. Documents published in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland were unified into the United Kingdom, and documents published in Taiwan Province, Hong Kong, and Macao Special Administrative Region of China were unified into a Chinese collection [26]. Then, based on the comprehensive counting method in the visualization software VOSviewer 1.6.11 (VOSviewer for CWTS, Version 1.6.11, Leiden, Netherlands), the number of articles published by countries was counted, and the number cooperation among the top 20 countries in terms of the number of issued articles was calculated. On the basis of countries’ geographical location and cooperation frequency between countries, ArcGIS was used to map the international cooperation network.
We extracted a total of 499 publications on “tire wear particles” and further analyzed the annual changes of publications with high frequency keywords of different average publication times and common research areas to show the trend of growth of TWP research. The keywords were counted using the VOSviewer software, and synonyms were combined before counting the frequency of words, because some of the words expressed the same meaning in the literature. Then, co-occurrence frequencies among the keywords were calculated using the full enumeration method in the VOSviewer software. We set the minimum number of keyword occurrences to 20, and the total strength of co-occurrence with other keywords was computed for the initial selected keywords. Finally, the keyword co-occurrence network was constructed based on the statistical results of word frequency and co-occurrence number, and the keyword time zone distribution was analyzed by combining with CiteSpace software (CiteSpace for Chaomei Chen, Drexel University, Version 5.7.R5, Philadelphia, PA, USA), so as to clarify the change trend of hot research areas of TWPs.

3. Results and Discussions

3.1. Time and Space Publishing Trends

According to the screening results, a total of 499 papers related to the field of TWPs were published from January 2000 to December 2021. Results show an overall increasing trend of interannual variation in the number of publications (Figure 2). These included a slow growth in the number of publications from 2000 to 2013, with only 153 articles related to TWPs. However, from 2014 to 2021, the number of articles on TWPs showed an exponential growth trend, with 383 published public articles. In particular, 287 articles have been published in the last four years (2018–2021), accounting for 53.54% of the total literature. This indicates that TWPs are receiving increasing attention from investigators, particularly in the field of environmental science.
Statistics showed that the number of countries involved in research on TWPs were comparatively low until 2018, with the top five countries publishing over 65% of studies (Figure 3). Nevertheless, after 2018, research on TWPs has received more attention, with more countries involved in the TWP studies. The European Union and the United States have been at the forefront of research into TWPs. Among them, the USA has been in the top five in terms of relevant publications and has made significant contributions to TWP research. Notably, the number of articles published in this field by Germany has increased significantly since 2019, with more than 12% of articles coming from German researchers. Developing countries such as Brazil, China, and India have been gradually paying more attention to research on TWPs in recent years and have also shown considerable progress in terms of publications.
The statistical analysis showed that a total of 72 countries conducted research on TWPs, and the number of countries with more than three publications was 34, representing 47.22% of the total number of nations, including 20 European countries, 7 Asian countries, 5 from the United States, 1 African country, and 1 Oceanian country. As shown in the international cooperation networks, the top three countries in terms of number of published articles are the USA, Sweden, and Germany, with 102, 54, and 52 articles, respectively (Figure 4). The network diagrams show that Europe and the USA are the main forces behind the research on TWPs. The USA was found to have the most collaborations, with 12 other countries, including the UK, Canada, China, Brazil, and Italy. Sweden is the second most published country in the TWP domain. It has close ties to Italy, sharing up to seven research papers. The countries that cooperate with Sweden are mostly developed countries in Europe, e.g., Denmark, Finland, and the UK. While not at the forefront of research on TWPs, developing countries (e.g., China, India, and Brazil) still contributed 102 papers.
Research into the environmental impacts of TWPs has been carried out in recent years by the Tire Industry Project (TIP), which is funded by developed countries, including TWP sampling in different environmental zones (air, rivers, soil, estuaries), TWP degradation analysis, TWP fate modeling, and the health risks of TWPs [27]. For rapidly developing countries, with the increase of car ownership per capita, the mileage of cars is also increasing, and the usage of tires is also rising significantly, which leads to increased levels of TWP pollution [28]. Studies have shown that TWPs can persist in environmental media, with a half-life of more than 450 d in soil environments and up to 5000 d in sediment [29,30]. In addition, tires contain more additives, which will also leach into the environment and ultimately lead to pollution [22]. Therefore, developing countries should pay equal attention to the prevention and control of TWP pollution.

3.2. Preferred Journals and Subject Areas

In the course of the review, the low total number of publications resulted in the establishment of a threshold of journals requiring more than five articles, resulting in the acquisition of 23 periodicals. Based on the quantity of publications, the top 10 periodicals were selected. Table 1 shows journal names, number of posts, impact factors (IF), citations, year of initial publication, and open access (OA) articles related to TWPs (calculated by VOS Viewer). Of these, Science of the Total Environment was ranked first with 54 articles, representing 10.075% of the total articles. These articles have been cited 3468 times and were first published in 2003, with 21 articles published via open access. In addition, the most cited journal is Atmospheric Environment, with 3972 citations, which also shows the considerable importance of TWPs in the atmospheric research domain. During the generation of TWPs, a portion of the particles generated by volatilization will enter the atmosphere, and a portion that settles on the road surface will also enter the air by resuspension [31]. Environmental International had the highest IF (13.352), even though only eight articles were published. The number of open access articles related to TWPs was 213, only 42.68% of the total number, which limits the speed and level of academic communication about TWPs.
A plot of the core-citation network of the top 23 journals shows each node as a journal, and the connection between the nodes indicates that there is a citation relation between the two documents (Figure 5). The thickness of the line is proportional to the co-citation strength of the two journals being linked, whereas the node size is related to the total link strength maintained by the journal. Science of the Total Environment, Atmospheric Environment, and Environmental Science Technology are the top three journals in terms of citation counts and total link strengths. Environmental Science Technology, although with slightly fewer publications, has the highest average citation count. It is worth noting that some articles not published in mainstream journals are also of research value, such as a study proposing a method to force TWPs into tunnels to prevent their release into the environment [32]. The method is environmentally friendly and convenient and can provide guidance for reducing the pollution caused by TWPs.
The results of the journal citation analysis reflect the research areas that provided the most information on TWPs. As shown in Figure 6, the five most relevant subject areas included “Environmental Sciences”, “Meteorology Atmospheric Science”, “Environmental Engineering”, “Materials Science Multidisciplinary”, and “Toxicology”. The field of “Environmental Sciences” (338, 62.942%) is a research hotspot for TWPs, especially after 2018, with an exponential increase in the number of publications. The growth rate of “Environmental Sciences” publications reached 33.07% in 2021, being the fastest growing field. With the expansion of the study of TWPs over decades, more general areas of study have emerged, such as “Toxicology”, which appeared in 2006. This increase can be related to the release of endogenous heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, etc.) [33] and derivates of various organics (6PPD-Q, PBBs, etc.) [34] during the process of tire wear and tear.

3.3. Research Topics and Evolution

In total, there were 88 keywords covered by literature sources in the research area of TWPs from 2000 to 2021. Among them, “Particulate matter” (205 times), “Road dust” (111 times), “Source apportionment” (83 times), “Emissions” (70 times), and “PM10” (66 times) were the top five keywords in terms of frequency of occurrence (Table 2). The correlation between keywords is shown in the network visualization chart. Various colors indicate that keywords belong to different clusters, and node size indicates the frequency with which keywords appear. As shown in Figure 7, TWP study consists of three major topical groups: suspended particulate matter (blue), air pollution sources (green), and environmental MP (red).
Cluster 1 (blue) is represented by the key words “Particulate matter” and “Road dust”, focusing on the existence of tire wear particles, which are mainly in the form of suspended particulate matter in the environment. Cluster 2 (green) is represented by the key words “Source apportionment” and “Air pollution”, exploring tire wear particles as a major source of air pollution. Cluster 1 and cluster 2 are very closely related, mainly because 0.1–10% of TWPs in the tire wear generation process will enter the atmosphere and remain in the air from minutes to days, and the smaller the particle size, the longer it remains and the more likely it will migrate to more distant places [35]. The generated PM2.5 and PM10 particles can remain in the environment for a long period, and the nano-sized particles can be adsorbed into the vehicle and transferred further as the vehicle moves through the system [36]. Despite significant reductions in road traffic emissions due to vehicle emission control regulations, a significant portion of current urban PM10 concentrations are caused by non-tailpipe traffic emissions. Particulate matter emitted by vehicles may come from exhaust and non-exhaust mechanisms such as mechanical brake wear, tire surface wear, road wear, and direct or indirect emissions from resuspension of road dust after the vehicle is run [37,38]. It is worth noting that the keyword “Microplastics” in cluster 3 (red) indicates that there are more studies that consider TWPs as a type of MP due to their particle size (sub-millimeter) and rubber content (elastomer) [39]. While the particle size of TWPs depends on many factors, most seem to be between 350 and 50 μm, and a large proportion are even smaller particles [40].
“Particulate matter” and “PM10”, which represent the development or research process of TWPs, are keywords that appear in the articles published annually in this field. TWPs are generated by mechanical friction between tires and asphalt pavement, and tire rubber’s main wear mechanisms are abrasive wear and fatigue wear, both of which have a significant effect on tire rubber particle size; thus, TWPs constitute a major non-exhaust source of urban particulate matter [41]. The literature containing this keyword usually focuses on the field of atmospheric particulate matter [42] and tire wear rates [43], with the aim of reducing TWPs. The keyword “Particulate matter” is also closely related to “Toxicity”, “Heavy metals”, and “Health risk”, indicating that the toxicological properties of TWPs and the degree of harm to the human body should not be underestimated. Other relevant keywords characterize the formation, generation, and study of the existence and fate of TWPs in environmental compartments, including “PM10”, “Wear”, “Source apportionment”, “Emission factors”, and “Tire”. These linked keywords occur mainly due to the release of TWPs into different environmental compartments through various pathways, such as trench sediment accumulation, road runoff, snow accumulation, and atmospheric deposition accumulation [44].
Figure 8 provides a superimposed visualization of the average year of occurrence of these keywords from 2014 to 2020. Node color changes over time. As the node becomes more yellow, keywords appear later, e.g., “Microplastics” and “Nanoplastics”; purple nodes such as “PM10” and “PM2.5” indicate that they occurred prior to 2015. Research hotspots on TWPs prior to 2015 focused on the atmospheric domain, primarily in the direction of atmospheric particle research (PM10 and PM2.5). Research hotspots between 2015 and 2018 focused on the source and generation mechanisms of TWPs (e.g., source apportionment and particulate matter). A major reason for this is the large number of black rubber particles found in MP samples worldwide, including polypropylene, polystyrene, and other MP, the source of which is TWPs formed by the wear of rubber tires of cars or airplanes on the road [45]. As a result of studies focusing on MP properties after 2018, its average year was magnified.
By using the Citespace burst detection feature, we can locate the exact year a keyword appeared. A total of 20 keywords are shown in Figure 9, where blue segments represent the time span of all documents and red segments represent years from appearance to termination of matching keywords. As can be seen from the chart, the earliest and most powerful keyword is aerosol, explaining that earlier studies focused on the properties of particulate matter in the atmosphere, which further interprets the high frequency of “PM10” and “PM2.5”. The main reason is that particulate matter from road traffic can be distinguished according to its source, as particulates associated with tailpipe traffic emissions and non-tailpipe traffic emissions [46]. The former are generated during combustion due to inadequate combustion of fossil fuels and volatilization of additives, while the latter are generated by non-tailpipe traffic-related sources or are already present in the environment as deposited material and resuspended due to turbulence caused by vehicle movement [37]. Exhaust particles have been well studied and characterized, and technological improvements have led to significant reductions in their emissions [47,48]. Therefore, as the focus of the research shifted, questions about the physicochemical characteristics, emission factors, and potential environmental hazards of TWPs generated by non-exhaust processes gradually have been attracting more and more attention.
Scientific knowledge mapping helps to identify past and current research progress in a specific area of research. Research novelty can be identified by establishing new links between two or more keywords [49]. There are many more keywords in the TWP domain that are borderline. The keyword with a distant location in the map indicates fewer or no relationships and is also a noteworthy research direction. Because of the small volume of literature, there are many unexplored areas in TWP research that require further experimental evidence.

4. Conclusions and Outlook

To date, no specific data has been published on the occurrence of TWPs in different environmental units. The majority of studies focused on the testing of novel analytical methods, especially the selection of suitable markers for TWP detection in environmental samples; environmental monitoring was not the primary focus [50,51]. On the other hand, the ecotoxicological effects of TWPs are unknown because most of the experimental studies were performed with artificially ground tire wear particles that differ from actual TWPs in the environment and at much higher experimental concentrations than are found in the natural environment.
Up to now, the greatest challenge is to fully understand the environmental behavior of TWP generation and transport and the methods for avoiding environmental hazards. In light of the high emissions of TWPs and the very limited current understanding of their abundance in the environment and contributing mechanisms, it is recommended that existing knowledge gaps should be addressed. More research needs to be done, including the following:
  • The presence of TWPs in environmental media is high, mainly due to the friction between the tire and road surface causing the release of TWPs from the tire to the environment [52]. Tire manufacturing is a balance between fuel economy, safety, durability, and environmental protection, and wear resistance bias will cause fuel economy and safety shortfalls [53]. Developing a new tire formula is thus a future direction for research. Road conditions can affect the release of TWPs. A relatively smooth road surface can reduce tire wear, and pores of relatively large patterns on the road surface can effectively intercept large TWPs [54]. Therefore, reducing emissions at the source by using wear-resistant tires, autonomous vehicles (with artificial intelligence to reduce wear), green vehicles and improved road materials is important.
  • As TWPs contain a large amount of heavy metals and organic pollutants, as with other plastics they have a high environmental persistence. TWPs can also form new toxicants under physical and chemical reactions such as heating/friction [55]. Reducing the amount of harmful additives in TWPs can alleviate leaching contamination of TWPs, such as reducing the amount of high aromatic oils to reduce the leaching of PAHs [22]. However, many of the processes and effects discussed can also be used as reference for particle pollution of other polymer composites, and related research is urgently needed.
  • TWPs can act as a pollutant carrier, which can adsorb and enrich a large amount of inorganic/organic pollutants in the environment and cause severe damage to the surrounding environment as a continuous migration and dispersal carrier. TWPs could be migrated from the pavement through surface runoff, pavement sweeping, and resuspension into the air. Among them, surface runoff is the most important migration method, followed by road cleaning, and therefore controlling these two transfer processes can effectively reduce the number of tire wear particles diffused into the environmental medium [56]. It is worth noting that the pavement sweeping process can transfer TWPs from the pavement to other places, but the collected pavement particles and pollutants may cause secondary pollution by random disposal.
  • Given that the aging process affects the environmental behavior and toxicity of TWPs in soil [57], future work should focus on morphological and structural changes in TWPs during weathering and aging and additive release and on TWP toxicity tests with natural weathering or aging. Also of concern is that some of the TWPs enter the drainage system with runoff, and after treatment in the wastewater treatment plant, their surface structure is oxidized by hypochlorous acid; advanced oxidation may accelerate the aging process of TWPs [58].
  • New methods for detecting TWPs are constantly being developed, but each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Accurate quantification of TWPs in the environment is still a great challenge. Establishing a unified tire wear particle detection standard and perfect preprocessing overlay with precise instrumentation is the future trend of development of tire wear particle detection technology, while combining multiple detection methods would get better results. New methods are urgently needed, and existing methods need to be improved.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, W.W. and G.L.; methodology, W.W.; software, W.W.; Validation: G.L. and D.L.; formal analysis, W.W. and D.L.; investigation, W.W.; resources, J.M. and G.L.; data curation, W.W.; writing—original draft preparation, W.W.; writing—review and editing, J.M., G.L. and Q.X.; visualization, W.W.; supervision, G.L. and D.L.; project administration, J.M. and G.L.; funding acquisition, G.L. and Q.X. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This study is funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2021YFE0193100) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42207010).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Ningbo Urban Environmental Observatory and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Science, for supporting this research.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

References

  1. Thompson, R.C.; Olsen, Y.; Mitchell, R.P.; Davis, A.; Rowland, S.J.; John, A.W.; McGonigle, D.; Russell, A.E. Lost at sea: Where is all the plastic? Science 2004, 304, 838. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  2. Li, J.; Lusher, A.L.; Rotchell, J.M.; Deudero, S.; Turra, A.; Bråte, I.L.N.; Sun, C.; Hossain, M.S.; Li, Q.; Kolandhasamy, P.; et al. Using mussel as a global bioindicator of coastal microplastic pollution. Environ. Pollut. 2019, 244, 522–533. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  3. Dikareva, N.; Simon, K.S. Microplastic pollution in streams spanning an urbanisation gradient. Environ. Pollut. 2019, 250, 292–299. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  4. Kumar, M.; Xiong, X.; He, M.; Tsang, D.C.; Gupta, J.; Khan, E.; Harrad, S.; Hou, D.; Ok, Y.S.; Bolan, N.S. Microplastics as pollutants in agricultural soils. Environ. Pollut. 2020, 265 Pt A, 114980. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  5. Ma, H.; Pu, S.; Liu, S.; Bai, Y.; Mandal, S.; Xing, B. Microplastics in aquatic environments: Toxicity to trigger ecological consequences. Environ. Pollut. 2020, 261, 114089. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  6. Hartmann, N.B.; Huffer, T.; Thompson, R.C.; Hassellov, M.; Verschoor, A.; Daugaard, A.E.; Rist, S.; Karlsson, T.; Brennholt, N.; Cole, M.; et al. Are We Speaking the Same Language? Recommendations for a Definition and Categorization Framework for Plastic Debris. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2019, 5, 1039–1047. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  7. Fytianos, G.; Ioannidou, E.; Thysiadou, A.; Mitropoulos, A.C.; Kyzas, G.Z. Microplastics in Mediterranean coastal countries: A recent overview. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9, 98. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  8. Thompson, R.N.; Nau, C.A.; Lawrence, C.H. Identification of vehicle tire rubber in roadway dust. Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J. 1966, 27, 488–495. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  9. Goßmann, I.; Halbach, M.; Scholz-Böttcher, B.M. Car and truck tire wear particles in complex environmental samples–a quantitative comparison with “traditional” microplastic polymer mass loads. Sci. Total Environ. 2021, 773, 145667. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  10. Dong, X.; Zhu, L.; Jiang, P.; Wang, X.; Liu, K.; Li, C.; Li, D. Seasonal biofilm formation on floating microplastics in coastal waters of intensified marinculture area. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2021, 171, 112914. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  11. Galafassi, S.; Nizzetto, L.; Volta, P. Plastic sources: A survey across scientific and grey literature for their inventory and relative contribution to microplastics pollution in natural environments, with an emphasis on surface water. Sci. Total Environ. 2019, 693, 133499. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  12. Kole, P.J.; Löhr, A.J.; Van Belleghem, F.G.A.J.; Ragas, A.M. Wear and tear of tyres: A stealthy source of microplastics in the environment. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 1265. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  13. Leads, R.R.; Weinstein, J.E. Occurrence of tire wear particles and other microplastics within the tributaries of the Charleston Harbor Estuary, South Carolina, USA. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2019, 145, 569–582. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  14. Verschoor, A.J. Towards a Definition of Microplastics: Considerations for the Specification of Physico-Chemical Properties; National Institute for Public Health and the Environment: Bilthoven, The Netherlands, 2015.
  15. Sieber, R.; Kawecki, D.; Nowack, B. Dynamic probabilistic material flow analysis of rubber release from tires into the environment. Environ. Pollut. 2020, 258, 113573. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  16. Sheng, Y.; Liu, Y.; Wang, K.; Cizdziel, J.V.; Wu, Y.; Zhou, Y. Ecotoxicological effects of micronized car tire wear particles and their heavy metals on the earthworm (Eisenia fetida) in soil. Sci. Total Environ. 2021, 793, 148613. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  17. Horton, A.A.; Walton, A.; Spurgeon, D.J.; Lahive, E.; Svendsen, C. Microplastics in freshwater and terrestrial environments: Evaluating the current understanding to identify the knowledge gaps and future research priorities. Sci. Total Environ. 2017, 586, 127–141. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
  18. Wagner, S.; Hüffer, T.; Klöckner, P.; Wehrhahn, M.; Reemtsma, T. Tire wear particles in the aquatic environment-a review on generation, analysis, occurrence, fate and effects. Water Res. 2018, 139, 83–100. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  19. Fan, X.; Ma, Z.; Zou, Y.; Liu, J.; Hou, J. Investigation on the adsorption and desorption behaviors of heavy metals by tire wear particles with or without UV ageing processes. Environ. Res. 2021, 195, 110858. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  20. Brennecke, D.; Duarte, B.; Paiva, F.; Caçador, I.; Canning-Clode, J. Microplastics as vector for heavy metal contamination from the marine environment. Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci. 2016, 178, 189–195. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  21. Gewert, B.; Plassmann, M.M.; MacLeod, M. Pathways for degradation of plastic polymers floating in the marine environment. Environ. Sci. Process. Impacts 2015, 17, 1513–1521. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  22. Baensch-Baltruschat, B.; Kocher, B.; Stock, F.; Reifferscheid, G. Tyre and road wear particles (TRWP)-A review of generation, properties, emissions, human health risk, ecotoxicity, and fate in the environment. Sci. Total Environ. 2020, 733, 137823. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  23. Luo, Z.; Zhou, X.; Su, Y.; Wang, H.; Yu, R.; Zhou, S.; Xu, E.G.; Xing, B. Environmental occurrence, fate, impact, and potential solution of tire microplastics: Similarities and differences with tire wear particles. Sci. Total Environ. 2021, 795, 148902. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  24. Wik, A.; Dave, G. Occurrence and effects of tire wear particles in the environment–A critical review and an initial risk assessment. Environ. Pollut. 2009, 157, 1–11. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  25. Adamiec, E.; Jarosz-Krzemińska, E.; Wieszała, R. Heavy metals from non-exhaust vehicle emissions in urban and motorway road dusts. Environ. Monit. Assess. 2016, 188, 369. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  26. Wei, T.J.; Guan, D.-X.; Li, X.-Y.; Hao, Y.-L.; Teng, H.H.; Yang, J.-F.; Xu, Y.-Y.; Li, G. Analysis of studies on environmental measurements using diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) from 1994 to 2020. J. Soils Sediments 2022, 22, 1069–1079. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  27. Cadle, S.H.; Williams, R.L. Environmental degradation of tire-wear particles. Rubber Chem. Technol. 1980, 53, 903–914. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  28. Unice, K.M.; Weeber, M.; Abramson, M.; Reid, R.; van Gils, J.; Markus, A.; Vethaak, A.; Panko, J. Characterizing export of land-based microplastics to the estuary—Part I: Application of integrated geospatial microplastic transport models to assess tire and road wear particles in the Seine watershed. Sci. Total Environ. 2019, 646, 1639–1649. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  29. Lough, G.C.; Schauer, J.J.; Park, J.S.; Shafer, M.M.; DeMinter, J.T.; Weinstein, J.P. Emissions of metals associated with motor vehicle roadways. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2005, 39, 826–836. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  30. Councell, T.B.; Duckenfield, K.U.; Landa, E.R.; Callender, E. Tire-wear particles as a source of zinc to the environment. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2004, 38, 4206–4214. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  31. Adachi, K.; Tainosho, Y. Characterization of heavy metal particles embedded in tire dust. Environ. Int. 2004, 30, 1009–1017. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  32. Dong, J.; Huang, H.; Pei, J.; Xu, Y.; Cao, J. A methodology for capturing tire wear particles: Computational particle fluid dynamics modelling and experimental verification. Powder Technol. 2021, 384, 176–185. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  33. Grigoratos, T.; Gustafsson, M.; Eriksson, O.; Martini, G. Experimental investigation of tread wear and particle emission from tyres with different treadwear marking. Atmos. Environ. 2018, 182, 200–212. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  34. Varshney, S.; Gora, A.H.; Siriyappagouder, P.; Kiron, V.; Olsvik, P.A. Toxicological effects of 6PPD and 6PPD quinone in zebrafish larvae. J. Hazard. Mater. 2022, 424, 127623. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  35. Dall’Osto, M.; Beddows, D.C.S.; Gietl, J.K.; Olatunbosun, O.A.; Yang, X.; Harrison, R.M. Characteristics of tyre dust in polluted air: Studies by single particle mass spectrometry (ATOFMS). Atmos. Environ. 2014, 94, 224–230. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  36. Panko, J.M.; Hitchcock, K.M.; Fuller, G.W.; Green, D. Evaluation of tire wear contribution to PM2. 5 in urban environments. Atmosphere 2019, 10, 99. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  37. Lin, Y.C.; Tsai, C.J.; Wu, Y.C.; Zhang, R.; Chi, K.-H.; Huang, Y.-T.; Lin, S.-H.; Hsu, S.-C. Characteristics of trace metals in traffic-derived particles in Hsuehshan Tunnel, Taiwan: Size distribution, potential source, and fingerprinting metal ratio. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 2015, 15, 4117–4130. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  38. Gillibert, R.; Magazzù, A.; Callegari, A.; Bronte-Ciriza, D.; Foti, A.; Donato, M.G.; Maragò, O.M.; Volpe, G.; de La Chapelle, M.L.; Lagarde, F.; et al. Raman tweezers for tire and road wear micro-and nanoparticles analysis. Environ. Sci. Nano 2022, 9, 145–161. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  39. Felsing, S.; Kochleus, C.; Buchinger, S.; Brennholt, N.; Stock, F.; Reifferscheid, G. A new approach in separating microplastics from environmental samples based on their electrostatic behavior. Environ. Pollut. 2018, 234, 20–28. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  40. Chang, X.; Huang, H.-B.; Jiao, R.-N.; Liu, J.-P. Experimental investigation on the characteristics of tire wear particles under different non-vehicle operating parameters. Tribol. Int. 2020, 150, 106354. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  41. Tonegawa, Y.; Sasaki, S. Development of tire-wear particle emission measurements for passenger vehicles. Emiss. Control Sci. Technol. 2021, 7, 56–62. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  42. Dalmau, M.E.; Augsburg, K.; Wenzel, F.; Ivanov, V. Tire particle emissions: Demand on reliable characterization. Tire Sci. Technol. 2020, 48, 107–122. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  43. Lenaker, P.L.; Baldwin, A.K.; Corsi, S.R.; Mason, S.A.; Reneau, P.C.; Scott, J.W. Vertical distribution of microplastics in the water column and surficial sediment from the Milwaukee River Basin to Lake Michigan. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2019, 53, 12227–12237. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
  44. Rødland, E.S.; Lind, O.C.; Reid, M.J.; Heier, L.S.; Okoffo, E.D.; Rauert, C.; Thomas, K.V.; Meland, S. Occurrence of tire and road wear particles in urban and peri-urban snowbanks, and their potential environmental implications. Sci. Total Environ. 2022, 824, 153785. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  45. Yan, H.; Zhang, L.; Liu, L.; Wen, S. Investigation of the external conditions and material compositions affecting the formation mechanism and size distribution of tire wear particles. Atmos. Environ. 2021, 244, 118018. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  46. Amato, F.; Cassee, F.R.; van der Gon, H.A.D.; Gehrig, R.; Gustafsson, M.; Hafner, W.; Harrison, R.M.; Jozwicka, M.; Kelly, F.J.; Moreno, T.; et al. Urban air quality: The challenge of traffic non-exhaust emissions. J. Hazard. Mater. 2014, 275, 31–36. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  47. Pant, P.; Harrison, R.M. Estimation of the contribution of road traffic emissions to particulate matter concentrations from field measurements: A review. Atmos. Environ. 2013, 77, 78–97. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  48. Harrison, R.M.; Giorio, C.; Beddows, D.C.; Dall’Osto, M. Size distribution of airborne particles controls outcome of epidemiological studies. Sci. Total Environ. 2010, 409, 289–293. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  49. Purba, L.D.A.; Khudzari, J.M.; Iwamoto, K.; Mohamad, S.E.; Yuzir, A.; Abdullah, N.; Shimizu, K.; Hermana, J. Discovering future research trends of aerobic granular sludge using bibliometric approach. J. Environ. Manag. 2022, 303, 114150. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  50. Rødland, E.S.; Samanipour, S.; Rauert, C.; Okoffo, E.D.; Reid, M.J.; Heier, L.S.; Lind, O.C.; Thomas, K.V.; Meland, S. A novel method for the quantification of tire and polymer-modified bitumen particles in environmental samples by pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectroscopy. J. Hazard. Mater. 2022, 423, 127092. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  51. Chae, E.; Jung, U.; Choi, S.S. Quantification of tire tread wear particles in microparticles produced on the road using oleamide as a novel marker. Environ. Pollut. 2021, 288, 117811. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  52. Agathokleous, E.; Iavicoli, I.; Barceló, D.; Calabrese, E.J. Ecological risks in a ‘plastic’ world: A threat to biological diversity? J. Hazard. Mater. 2021, 417, 126035. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  53. Kreider, M.L.; Panko, J.M.; McAtee, B.L.; Sweet, L.I.; Finley, B.L. Physical and chemical characterization of tire-related particles: Comparison of particles generated using different methodologies. Sci. Total Environ. 2010, 408, 652–659. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  54. Klöckner, P.; Reemtsma, T.; Eisentraut, P.; Braun, U.; Ruhl, A.S.; Wagner, S. Tire and road wear particles in road environment–Quantification and assessment of particle dynamics by Zn determination after density separation. Chemosphere 2019, 222, 714–721. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  55. Hüffer, T.; Wagner, S.; Reemtsma, T.; Hofmann, T. Sorption of organic substances to tire wear materials: Similarities and differences with other types of microplastic. Trends Analyt. Chem. 2019, 113, 392–401. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  56. Polukarova, M.; Markiewicz, A.; Björklund, K.; Strömvall, A.M.; Galfi, H.; Sköld, Y.A.; Galfi, H.; Sköld, Y.A.; Gustafsson, M.; Järlskog, I.; et al. Organic pollutants, nano-and microparticles in street sweeping road dust and washwater. Environ. Int. 2020, 135, 105337. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  57. Wagner, S.; Klöckner, P.; Reemtsma, T. Aging of tire and road wear particles in terrestrial and freshwater environments—A review on processes, testing, analysis and impact. Chemosphere 2022, 288, 132467. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  58. Liu, P.; Qian, L.; Wang, H.; Zhan, X.; Lu, K.; Gu, C.; Gao, S. New insights into the aging behavior of microplastics accelerated by advanced oxidation processes. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2019, 53, 3579–3588. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Sustainability 15 00583 g001 550
Figure 1. Flow chart of data collection for TWP research articles.
Figure 1. Flow chart of data collection for TWP research articles.
Sustainability 15 00583 g001
Sustainability 15 00583 g002 550
Figure 2. The annual and cumulative number of research articles on TWPs (2000–2021).
Figure 2. The annual and cumulative number of research articles on TWPs (2000–2021).
Sustainability 15 00583 g002
Sustainability 15 00583 g003 550
Figure 3. Top five contributing countries (2014–2021).
Figure 3. Top five contributing countries (2014–2021).
Sustainability 15 00583 g003
Sustainability 15 00583 g004 550
Figure 4. International cooperation network.
Figure 4. International cooperation network.
Sustainability 15 00583 g004
Sustainability 15 00583 g005 550
Figure 5. Journal citation network diagram analysis based on total link strength.
Figure 5. Journal citation network diagram analysis based on total link strength.
Sustainability 15 00583 g005
Sustainability 15 00583 g006 550
Figure 6. Number of published research articles associated with the top five domains.
Figure 6. Number of published research articles associated with the top five domains.
Sustainability 15 00583 g006
Sustainability 15 00583 g007 550
Figure 7. The co-occurrence network of high-frequency keywords.
Figure 7. The co-occurrence network of high-frequency keywords.
Sustainability 15 00583 g007
Sustainability 15 00583 g008 550
Figure 8. High-frequency keyword co-occurrence network.
Figure 8. High-frequency keyword co-occurrence network.
Sustainability 15 00583 g008
Sustainability 15 00583 g009 550
Figure 9. The citation burst of the top 20 keywords (The red squares represent the years in which keywords had citation bursts; the blue squares represent the years in which keywords did not).
Figure 9. The citation burst of the top 20 keywords (The red squares represent the years in which keywords had citation bursts; the blue squares represent the years in which keywords did not).
Sustainability 15 00583 g009
Table
Table 1. Top 10 most productive journals.
Table 1. Top 10 most productive journals.
JournalNumberPercentageIFCitationsYear of Initial PublicationOA
Science of the Total Environment5410.07510.7533468200321
Atmospheric Environment539.8885.7553972200316
Environmental Science Technology264.85111.357268320026
Environmental Pollution234.2919.98878820069
Chemosphere122.2398.94363120053
Environmental Science and Pollution Research101.8665.19062520136
Water91.6793.53012620130
Environment International81.49313.35279720045
Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association81.4932.63629920005
Aerosol and Air Quality Research71.3064.53025620147
Table
Table 2. Top five ranked keywords.
Table 2. Top five ranked keywords.
KeywordTotal Link StrengthLinksOccurrences
Particulate matter97987205
Road dust66983111
Source apportionment4827483
Emissions4038270
PM104166966
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Wu, W.; Ma, J.; Liu, D.; Xu, Q.; Li, G. Scientific Knowledge Mapping and Thematic Evolution for Tire Wear Particles. Sustainability 2023, 15, 583. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010583

AMA Style

Wu W, Ma J, Liu D, Xu Q, Li G. Scientific Knowledge Mapping and Thematic Evolution for Tire Wear Particles. Sustainability. 2023; 15(1):583. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010583

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wu, Wei, Jun Ma, Dong Liu, Qiao Xu, and Gang Li. 2023. "Scientific Knowledge Mapping and Thematic Evolution for Tire Wear Particles" Sustainability 15, no. 1: 583. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010583

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop