Tire particles and potentially toxic tire chemical additives have been found in dust collected from Brisbane residential balconies. University of Queensland researchers examined the balcony dust from homes across inner-city, suburban and near-road settings to see how traffic-related pollution traveled from streets to residential environments.
Doctoral candidate Simran Kaur, who conducted the research with UQ's Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, said the study provided the first quantitative evidence of tire pollutants on Australian balconies, including a chemical called 6PPD-quinone. The work is published in the journal ACS ES&T Air.
"6PPD-quinone is a chemical used in tire production that has caused mass salmon mortality events in the United States," Kaur said. "These findings indicate outdoor residential dust may be an important 'sink' for 6PPD-quinone, with implications for human exposure."
Balcony dust samples were collected between June 2024 and March 2025. Researchers detected tire additive chemicals in 29 of 30 samples, with 6PPD-quinone detected on 23 balconies. Other chemicals used in tire production, including Hexa(methoxymethyl)melamine (HMMM), 2-(4-Morpholinyl)benzothiazole (24MoBT) and 5-methylbenzotriazole (5-MBTR), were also detected.
Balconies that were closer to Brisbane's CBD and closer to ground level had higher concentrations of tire-related pollution.
"Wind speed played a major role in how much tire wear was deposited on the balconies," Kaur said. "This suggests that tire pollution does not stay on busy roads but can be carried through the air to be deposited further into the urban environment.
"To our knowledge, this study reports the first quantitative measurements of tire wear particles or their chemicals, including 6PPD-quinone, HMMM, 24MoBT and 5-MBTR, in urban dust collected from outdoor areas of residential dwellings."
Tire wear particles are a mixture of synthetic rubbers, fillers and tire additive chemicals that resist degradation and can persist in the environment. These particles accumulate on road surfaces and can be transported by wind or water runoff.
It is estimated that about 6 million metric tonnes (6.6 million tons) of tire wear particles are released globally each year, and this is recognized as one of the world's largest sources of microplastic pollution.
Dr. Cassandra Rauert of UQ's Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences said tires were an often-overlooked source of microplastics.
"People see tire wear as a normal part of driving, but the material does not simply disappear. The particles and chemicals are released into our environment and can travel beyond the road," Rauert said. "Previous research has focused on roads, water and sediments, so we wanted to understand whether tire pollution could also be transported through the air and reach residential spaces.
"These findings could help inform environmental monitoring programs for tire pollution and guide research into ways of reducing tire wear through better tire design and formulation, as well as improved stormwater and urban pollution management."
Kaur said that while increased use of electric vehicles was expected to reduce exhaust emissions, their heavier weight could increase tire and road wear and see tire wear particles remain a source of urban pollution.
"These trends are particularly relevant in Australia's rapidly expanding urban centers, where dense traffic, high vehicle dependence and extensive road networks generate substantial and continuous tire wear," she said.
Publication details
Simran Kaur et al, From Streets to Seats: Assessment of Tire Wear Particles and Tire Additive Chemicals in Australian Urban Dust, ACS ES&T Air (2026). DOI: 10.1021/acsestair.6c00072
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Citation: Microplastic tire pollution found in Brisbane balcony dust (2026, July 20) retrieved 20 July 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-07-microplastic-pollution-brisbane-balcony.html
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