Tire pollution may harm health

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【Summary】Electric vehicles (EVs) are being criticized for their tires wearing out quickly, leading to particulate emissions that could pose health risks. The rubber from EV tires wears off as microscopic particles, which can contribute to pollution in the air, water, and living beings. Scientists have found a chemical called 6PPD, used in all tires, to be linked to premature deaths of salmon, further raising concerns about the environmental impact of EV tire emissions.

FutureCar Staff Sep 02, 2023 4:25 PM PT

Buyers of Rivian's electric pickup and SUV often express a common complaint in online forums - the tires wear out too quickly. One driver from Colorado loaded his truck with two motorcycles and embarked on a journey. After traveling approximately 6,000 miles, he noticed that nearly a tenth of an inch of rubber had worn off his front tires. As microscopic particles, the rubber is now dispersed somewhere. This issue seems to affect other electric vehicle buyers as well.

While electric vehicles (EVs) have succeeded in eliminating tailpipe emissions, they have inadvertently contributed to a different type of pollution that has raised concerns among scientists and environmentalists. The substantial weight of EVs exacerbates this problem.

It has long been recognized that tires emit pollution. As they roll across pavement, the abrasion causes the separation of rubber particles and other substances. Over time, these particles, some as small as a human cell, find their way into the air, water, and living organisms. In Washington state, scientists have linked a chemical called 6PPD, which is used in all tires to prevent cracking, to the premature deaths of salmon. During rainstorms, the 6PPD washes off roads and into streams, where it is then ingested by the fish.