Understanding of Tire-Wear Gaseous Pollutants and their Impact on Secondary Aerosol Formation from On-Road Vehicles

With the implementation of stringent pollution regulations, more attention should be shifted to road traffic-derived non-exhaust pollutants. This study will investigate two novel topics that have not yet been thoroughly investigated by the scientific community but may potentially have significant air quality and health impacts. The first topic relates to the investigation of gaseous pollutants from tire-wear. This phenomenon is characterized under the umbrella of tire off-gassing and can include gaseous compounds that are toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic to humans. The second topic relates to the assessment of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from tire-wear gaseous pollutants. An increase in SOA from non-exhaust vehicle pollutants (i.e., tires) could lead to air quality degradation and increased health impacts. In this study, the researchers will measure the gaseous pollutants from the off-gassing of tires during laboratory and real-world testing conditions. The researchers will also evaluate the SOA forming potential from the off-gassing of tires during only laboratory conditions using state-of-the-art instrumentation. It is expected that the results from this study will contribute to the creation of tire-wear gaseous pollutant factors and to a better understanding of their impact on SOA formation. The findings from this study will help address the impacts of tire-wear pollution from mobile sources to populations living near roadways and urban settings.