TIP-backed study confirms improved method for measuring tire, road wear particles

Geneva – The Tire Industry Project (TIP) has published a new scientific study confirming the robustness of an enhanced ‘pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry’ method for quantifying tire and road wear particles (TRWP) in environmental samples.

In a 13 Nov statement, TIP said the validated approach “improves accuracy and reproducibility in quantifying TRWPs in soil and sediment” even when particle composition varies by region or manufacturing method.

The study, titled “Pyrolysis-GC/MS calibration for environmental quantification of tire tread: Standards and marketplace averaged elastomer subunit profiles,” was published in the September volume of Chemosphere magazine.

The work was carried out by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. with support from TIP as part of its commitment to advancing tire-wear emissions science.

TIP said the findings address a long-standing challenge stemming from “the variability in rubber composition between calibration standards and real-world tire samples.”

Researchers used “market-weighted average elastomer profiles” from the US and EU, refining the Py-GC/MS protocol to reduce measurement bias and improve consistency across diverse environmental samples.

Py-GC/MS, according to TIP, is recognised as “the most advanced and accurate method of TRWP analysis by the scientific community.”

In the study, researchers analysed cryo-milled tire tread (CMTT) samples from the US and the EU and established that the samples contained similar styrene and butadiene content across both regions.

By modifying the protocol around these profiles, the team “confirmed the mitigation of known sources of environmental measurement bias, strengthening the method's ability to account for real-world variability in TRWP composition.”

In addition to improved calibration, the study also showed that calibration standards remain stable for up to three months at 4°C, which TIP said supports broader laboratory use and efficient batch preparation.

“This study represents a significant step forward in harmonising methodologies and standardising TRWP quantification,” said TIP executive director Larisa Kryachkova.

“By advancing the Py-GC/MS method… we’re ultimately strengthening the global scientific ecosystem’s ability to collaboratively understand and address tire wear emissions,” she added.