Pollution: 785 particles found in tire rubber present "serious health and environmental risks," according to a study
An “invisible pollution” from dust escaping from tires threatens our soils, our outdoor air and our waterways, denounces the association Agir pour l'environnement in a report unveiled this Monday, November 3.
In tire rubber, several hundred molecules, including 785 that present "serious health and environmental risks," have been identified by the environmental organization Agir pour l'environnement. This alarming finding, highlighted in a report released on Monday, November 3, is based on an analysis of the chemical composition of tires from six major brands. Due to rubber abrasion on asphalt, 80,000 tons of dust end up along our roads each year. This " invisible pollution " threatens the soil, the air, and waterways, notes Le Parisien , which reported on the study.
"We have notably discovered 111 substances that are highly toxic to aquatic environments, 85 that are potentially fatal if ingested and enter the respiratory tract, and 112 carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reprotoxic molecules ," the NGO's director general, Stéphen Kerckhove, told the newspaper.
These particles expose the entire population, and children in particular, " to increased risks of cancer, neurological disorders, as well as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases," continues Stéphen Kerckhove. He believes it is "urgent to amend the legislation governing their manufacture in order to limit the risks to ecosystems and the health hazards posed by these molecules."
Taking action for the environment also calls for greater transparency regarding the composition of materials. "In particular, we need to lift the trade secrecy surrounding the composition of tires and create a European labeling system that incorporates their chemical toxicity," says Olivier Charles. The NGO's transport campaign coordinator told Le Parisien, "Citizens have the right to know the exact composition of the products they buy and with which... they are poisoning themselves." It's worth noting that 44 million tires are sold in France every year.
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