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Objective 3

Environmental dispersion of tyre-generated microplastics

OBJECTIVE

03

We will use the knowledge gained under objective 1 to calibrate and parametrise the existing SimpleBox4Nano (SB4N) model on tyre-generated microplastics dispersion in the environment, and will validate this model through field measurements.

Tyre-generated particles are a major source of microplastics found in the environment. Determining the dispersion of the particulate emissions in the environment beyond the immediate roadside—the “fate” of the emitted particle—is key to allow balanced legislative measures to limit the spread of these particulate
emissions to be adopted.
Several models exist that estimate the dispersion of particulate matter from the road into the wider environment (air, soil, water).  However, these models lack calibration data for the actual particle size distribution of the emitted particles and for the quantification of particles in the different environmental compartments.
We will use a novel sequential micro/nano-filtration technique to improve quantification of samples taken from different environmental compartments and will use the particle characterisation done within LEON-T to calibrate and parametrise the SB4N model.
We will use the calibrated and parametrised SB4N model to predict particle distributions at several locations and compare these predictions with field data.