Over 5.6 million road vehicles are registered in New Zealand, with a wide range of contaminants released as a result of their operation. The material wearing out from tyre tread has previously been identified as a contaminant of potential concern (COPC) in New Zealand, but its amount has not been quantified. Numerous studies confirm that the wear rate of a tyre depends on multiple factors and can vary significantly, even for the same type of vehicle with the same tyres installed. Such factors have already been classified and weighted; therefore, they were not the subject of the current research. The aim of this study is to estimate the total amount of material released into the environment in New Zealand due to the tread wear of tyres.
In this research, the New Zealand motor vehicle fleet was divided into categories according to the available statistical data. The estimation of the amount of the tyre material released into the environment was done separately in each category of vehicle, using the three-point method (Low, Medium and High). The calculation was performed using the statistical average annual distances driven by vehicles, and the tyre abrasion rates, also called emission factors (mg/km). The emission factors were adopted through a thorough review of the available studies of tyre abrasion rates in different countries.
The three-point estimate shows that every year roughly 6.5 to 15.5 thousand tonnes of material from tyre tread wear is released into the environment in New Zealand, which gives between 1.26 and 2.97 kg when converted per capita. Such quantification is an important step in understanding the impacts of this contaminant on New Zealand ecosystems. Further research of tyre tread wear material is needed with regard to its emission factors; deposition, migration and concentrations in environmental compartments; accumulation and degradation paths; effects on living organisms and human health.
Kudin, R., Singh, N., Chand, P., Bakmeedeniya, A., & Tawaketini, J. (2024). Estimating Emissions from Tyre Tread Wear of Motor Vehicles. Unitec ePress Occasional and Discussion Paper Series (1/2024). Unitec ePress.
https://doi.org/10.34074/ocds.108
Authors: Roman Kudin, Niranjan Singh, Prabhat Chand, Anura Bakmeedeniya and Jone Tawaketini
ISSN: 2324-3635
Published: 23/7/2024