Determination of tire wear markers in soil samples and their distribution in a roadside soil

Tire wear (TW) constitutes a significant source of microplastic in terrestrial ecosystems. It is known that particles emitted by roads can have an effect up to 100 m into adjacent areas. Here, we apply for the first-time thermal extraction desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TED-GC/MS) to determine TW in soil samples by detection of thermal decomposition products of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), without additional enrichment. Additionally, zinc contents were determined as an elemental marker for TW. Mixed soil samples were taken along three transects along a German motorway in 0.3, 2.0, and 5.0 m distance from the road. Sampling depths were 0-2, 2-5, 5-10, and 10-20 cm. Four fine fractions, 1 000-500, 500-100, 100-50, and <50 mu m, were analyzed. TW contents based on SBR ranged from 155 to 15 898 mg kg(-1). TW contents based on zinc were between 413 and 44 812 mg kg(-1). Comparison of individual values of SBR and zinc reveals SBR as a more specific marker. Results confirm that most TW ends up in the topsoil within a 2 m distance. The sampling strategy resulted in representative data for a larger area. Standard deviations of quadruple TEDGC/MS determination of SBR were <10% for all grain size fractions. TED-GC/MS is a suitable analytical tool for determining TW in soil samples without the use of toxic chemicals, enrichment, or special sample preparation.

Automated summary

Tire wear is a significant source of microplastic in terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, TED-GC/MS was used for the first time to detect tire wear in soil samples, and the results showed that the majority of tire wear particles ended up in the topsoil within a 2 meter distance from the road.