New article: Tracks of travel

Researchers from the Department of Soil Mineralogy and Soil Chemistry at TuDA and the Department of Soil Science at FiBL Switzerland investigated the abundance of tire wear particles (TWP) from tire abrasion on streets and associated pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzop[a]pyrene and trace metals. With a focus on low-traffic streets in the Swiss canton of Solothurn, they found concentrations and sizes of TWP decreasing with increasing distance from the road and positive relationships with associated pollutants. In conclusion the research revealed that even in low-traffic areas, roadside soils act as an environmental sink for high concentrations of TWPs and associated pollutants.

Publication: Kundel, D., Wiget, A., Fliessbach, A. et al. Tracks of travel: unveiling tire particle concentrations in Swiss cantonal road soils. Micropl.&Nanopl. 5, 6 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43591-025-00112-1