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℗ Almost 2,000 times more particle pollution is produced by *tyre wear than is pumped
out of the exhausts of modern cars, tests have shown. The tyre particles pollute air,
SJE
water and soil and contain a wide range of toxic organic compounds, including known
carcinogens, the analysts say, suggesting tyre pollution could rapidly become a major
issue for regulators.
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2 Air pollution causes millions of early deaths a year globally. The requirement for
better filters has meant particle emissions from tailpipes in developed countries are
now much lower in new cars, with those in Europe far below the legal limit. However,
the increasing weight of cars means more particles are being thrown off by tyres as they
wear on the road. The tests also revealed that tyres produce more than one trillion
ultrafine particles for each *kilometre driven, meaning particles smaller than 23
*nanometres. These are also emitted from exhausts and are (2 ) special concern
to health professionals, as their size means they can enter organs via the bloodstream.
Particles below 23 nm are hard to measure and are not currently regulated in either the
EU or US.
