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The black shit covering the snow? That's from #cars. But importantly, it's not just exhaust soot - it's also pieces of tire (as they wear down). Eg, #microplastics that will end up in the ocean and in our drinking water.
#Cars #microplastics

Neil E. Hodges reshared this.

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Andres
Andres
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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/pollution-microplastic-waste-tires-b2794350.html

"In recent times, tire wear particles have been found to account for about 45% of all microplastics in both terrestrial and aquatic systems."

"Researchers in 2020 found that more than half of the coho salmon returning to streams in Washington state died before spawning, largely because of 6PPD-Q, a chemical stemming from 6PPD, which is added to tires to help keep them from degrading."

The most frustrating thing about all this? Cities don't clear sidewalks, so more cars


One of the biggest microplastic pollution sources revealed – and it’s not straws or bags

Tire wear particles have been found to account for about 45 per cent of all microplastics in both terrestrial and aquatic systems
Boluwatife S. Olubusoye (The Independent)

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Andres
Andres
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That article in particular focuses on filtering out tire wear particles AFTER they've entered the environment. Which is very much a band-aid, and it filters them AFTER we've breathed in the airborne particles.

We can stop them from ever being released by designing cities not for cars, but we need actual political leadership for that. Limiting/removing cars also comes with a ridiculous number of other benefits, too. Truly too many to count!

#BanCars

#bancars

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Andres
Andres
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Fun fact: did you know that the fascism that's taking over our country is enabled by car-centric design? Our rural and exurban areas are deep red and full of Trump voters. That's because places designed around cars isolate us and make us suspicious and hateful of our neighbors. What happens when we propose more housing? "What about the traffic!" say the NIMBYs. Because newcomers, rather than bringing interesting food, culture, conversation, language, & art, bring more cars in unwalkable places.

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George B
George B
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Also a larger portion of people's money in those places goes to the oil industry than in walkable places and guess which industry fucking loves to fund fascists all over the place
in reply to Andres

DemonHusky
DemonHusky
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I've just started to watch For All Mankind and something that clicked for me with the bad parenting that my partner noted was basically our parents generation: Post-War suburbanization was possibly the first generation of parents to not have a village of support in raising kids. It's only gotten worse since since at least kids used to be able to bike around town on their own but can't nowadays with car-required suburbs in full-form
in reply to Andres

legraLeGra
legraLeGra
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I’ve also got a friend who is a geochemist —

She has found another important road source of microplastics in rivers and estuaries are actually the road markings themselves which are no longer paint, but instead thermoplastics.

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Andres
Andres
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@atthenius That makes sense. Especially on highways, those things don't last very long!
@legraLeGra
in reply to Andres

Twobiscuits🚴‍♂️ :graz:
Twobiscuits🚴‍♂️ :graz:
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@atthenius Most paint consists of synthetic polymers too, though. And thermoplastic markings, but also the ones that use very smelly solvents, last longer than paint. That's why they're used. Here in Graz we've been through the attempt to use water-based paint. It didn't work. The city can't repaint 1000 km worth of road markings on a 2-years' cycle, and that's what it needed.

The main particulate pollution from road runoff is from tyres. There's no way around collecting and treating the runoff from roads with heavy traffic. Separate drainage & treatment of road runoff is gradually being rolled out in Austria, in cities and along the highways.

@legraLeGra
in reply to Andres

legraLeGra
legraLeGra
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This is the exhaustive review article

https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/where-rubber-meets-road-epa-researchers-study-environmental-and-health-impacts-tires


Where Rubber Meets the Road: EPA Researchers Study the Environmental and Health Impacts of Tires | US EPA

The issue of tire pollution is complex, as every step of a tire’s life cycle, from production to use to disposal, can impact our environment, health and wildlife. This story discusses EPA research on tire wear and 6PPD-quinone.
US EPA
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