Pollution of rivers and the sea by fragments from vehicle tyres is much worse than previously suspected, putting millions of square metres of waters at risk of contamination, scientists say.
Tyre particles are a major source of the microplastics in waterways, being carried through the atmosphere or by rainwater into rivers and sewers, the experts found.
The hauling of fishing nets and pots, causing ropes and netting to fragment, also causes “substantial” numbers of microplastic pieces to be shed into the oceans.
The research, funded by the government, identifies tyre particles as a major source of microplastics in the seas and rivers, in addition to decomposing bottles, bags and other detritus that choke marine life.
Microplastics – fragments of plastic less than 5mm long – have been found in fish and shellfish bound for human consumption, and it has been estimated that an average European seafood eater consumes 11,000 plastic particles a year.
Seabirds, fish, turtles and whales globally – from the deep seas to the Arctic – ingest microplastics, which damage their growth and reproduction, research has previously shown.
A 2017 report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature found that tyres account for more than one-quarter – 28 per cent – of microplastic waste in the world’s oceans. Friends of the Earth (FoE) estimates that up to 19,000 tonnes of tyre fragments get into UK waterways, rivers and seas each year.
In the new study, experts at the University of Plymouth found tyre particles were a “significant and previously largely unrecorded” source of marine microplastics. Researchers estimated tyre pollution could be contaminating 100 million sq m of the UK’s river network and more than 50 million sq m of estuarine and coastal waters.
Although they are considered “rubber”, vehicle tyres are made from a complex blend of synthetic materials and chemicals, including different types of plastic, according to FoE.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says the findings will be used to guide research already under way on the effect of human activities on the marine environment.
Source: The Independent