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By: Dr. Eng. Mitra Nikpay
Funded by SATOORNIK
© [14.11.2024] Dr. Mitra Nikpay and SATOORNIK. All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced, distributed, or used without proper authorization.
Abstract
Tire wear particles are an emerging environmental concern, contributing significantly to microplastic pollution in urban runoff and wastewater systems. This report evaluates the efficiency of SATOORNIK Gen-I, an innovative filtration device designed to capture tire wear particles from water sources. Three separate tests were conducted using tire wear samples of varying masses, processed through the filtration system with 500 mL of water in each case. The system demonstrated exceptional filtration performance, achieving mean separation efficiencies of 99.99% across all tests. The device's effectiveness in removing tire wear particles was further validated by comparing particle concentrations before and after filtration. The concentrations of particles in the water samples before filtration were found to be hundreds of times higher than real-world pollution levels typically found in wastewater treatment plants, highlighting the system's capacity to handle high levels of contamination. These findings suggest that SATOORNIK Gen-I is a promising solution for mitigating the environmental and human health risks associated with tire wear pollution, thereby contributing to cleaner urban water sources and healthier ecosystems.
INTRODUCTION
With global urbanization and increasing reliance on vehicles, a pressing environmental issue has emerged: tire wear particles (TWPs). Every year, approximately 3 billion new tires are produced worldwide, and 800 million tires are discarded annually, contributing significantly to environmental pollution. These tires, primarily composed of natural rubber and petroleum-based compounds, not only pose a recycling challenge but also introduce a mass of harmful chemicals and particles into the environment, creating a complex and persistent pollution problem. When tires wear down, they release tiny particles that shed into the air, water, and soil, introducing toxic materials into the environment.
Tire wear particles, which make up a significant portion of microplastics, account for as much as 13% of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in urban areas, a major contributor to air pollution and respiratory diseases. These particles contain a range of toxic substances, including heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzothiazoles, and styrene-butadiene rubber, all of which are harmful to human health and the environment. Notably, when these tire wear particles enter our waterways, they pose a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems. Chemicals like 6PPD-quinone from tire particles have already been linked to the death of fish species such as salmon, and they contribute to the degradation of biodiversity.
The environmental impact of tire wear is exacerbated by the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), which, due to their weight and torque, accelerate tire wear. This increase in tire wear results in a higher volume of particles being released into the environment, further compounding the pollution problem. These particles not only contaminate water and air but also have the capacity to adsorb other harmful pollutants, such as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), further amplifying their toxicity.
Waste tires also present another significant issue. While 1.2 billion tires are discarded each year globally, tire waste management remains a challenge. Tires are difficult to recycle, and many are incinerated, used in products like crumb rubber for pavements, or even stored in landfills. In some cases, recycled tire products can still be sources of further contamination. Stormwater runoff serves as a primary pathway through which tire particles enter aquatic environments, highlighting the need for effective filtration and mitigation systems in urban areas [1,2].
To address the growing issue of tire pollution, SATOORNIK Gen-I has been developed an innovative filtration solution designed to capture and separate tire wear particles from water sources. This technology has already been successfully tested in other projects, such as the separation of PTFE and greywater, with separation efficiencies of 99.99% and 96%, respectively. By targeting tire particles, particularly in stormwater runoff, wastewater outlets, and other relevant sources, SATOORNIK Gen-I offers a promising solution to reduce the environmental and human health risks associated with tire pollution.
This report presents the findings of testing conducted on SATOORNIK Gen I, evaluating its ability to effectively separate tire wear particles from water. Additionally, the report discusses the potential impact of this filtration technology on urban water quality, human health, and ecosystem protection.
In examining the lifecycle of tires—from production and emissions to recycling and disposal—this report highlights the pressing need for innovative solutions to combat tire pollution. Through advanced filtration technologies like SATOORNIK Gen I, cities can take a crucial step toward managing the complex and widespread environmental impact of tire wear and improving the health of their inhabitants and ecosystems.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Tire Wear Particles:
Three separate samples of tire wear particles were prepared for testing, each containing different quantities of black tire wear particles, as outlined in Table 1.
The tire wear particles used in each test were distributed across a well-characterized size range, as shown in Figure 1, ensuring a representative sample of microplastic particles typically found in urban stormwater runoff. The smallest particle size detected was 1.4 µm, which defines the lower limit of the detection capability of our device for this test range.
The density of the tire wear particles was considered to be 1.1 g/cm³ for calculating mass and volume properties.
Each test was conducted with 500 mL of tap water, which was mixed with the tire wear particles to create a controlled medium for evaluating the filtration efficiency. The water sample containing the tire wear particles was agitated to ensure a uniform distribution of particles throughout the liquid.
SATOORNIK Gen-I Filtration System:
The SATOORNIK Gen-I is a full-scale filtration unit designed for continuous operation. The system is specifically engineered for the efficient separation of microplastics, including tire wear particles. It has been optimized to handle even the smallest particles in water, making it ideal for urban runoff applications.
For each of the three tests, the 500 mL water sample, containing the tire wear particles, was processed through the SATOORNIK Gen-I system. The system was continuously operated during each test, with no washing of the device in between tests, to evaluate the performance across multiple cycles. This was done to simulate real-world conditions where the system operates continuously.
Sampling and Analysis:
Samples were collected before and after filtration for each of the three tests. The pre-filtration sample represented the initial condition of the water, while the post-filtration sample represented the water after passing through the filtration unit.
The results were visually confirmed using a microscope, with the black tire wear particles easily detectable in the water samples. The comparison between the pre- and post-filtration samples allowed for the evaluation of the filtration efficiency in removing the tire wear particles.
RESULTS
The effectiveness of the SATOORNIK Gen-I filtration system was evaluated across three tests with varying initial masses of tire wear particles in a 500 mL water sample. Filtration efficiency, particle concentration, and fold increases relative to real-world WWTP concentrations were calculated to assess the system’s performance in a controlled environment and its implications for real-world applications.
Filtration Efficiency and Particle Concentration
The filtration efficiency of SATOORNIK Gen-I was evaluated by measuring particle concentrations before and after filtration. The high-efficiency percentage mean of 99.99% demonstrates the device's effectiveness in removing tire wear particles from water (See Table 2).
Comparison to Real-World Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Concentrations
The filtration efficiency of the SATOORNIK Gen-I system was tested across three samples of tire wear particles, with masses of 0.012 g, 0.019 g, and 0.022 g, respectively. The system achieved high filtration efficiencies, ranging from 99.98% to 100%, with increasing particle concentrations reflecting real-world tire particle levels.
In each test, tire particle concentrations were significantly higher than typical wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent concentrations, calculated at 235-fold, 373-fold, and 431-fold increases relative to the real-world benchmark of 102 µg/L (See Table 3).
This cumulative test load equates to 519.5 liters of real-world polluted water, indicating that the SATOORNIK Gen-I was able to handle continuous high-contamination levels effectively without requiring device maintenance or cleaning between tests. This result emphasizes the device’s robustness in treating tire wear pollution at elevated concentrations typically found in urban stormwater and wastewater systems.
The graph of Figure 2. demonstrates the robust filtration performance of the SATOORNIK Gen-I over three sequential high-concentration tests (T1, T2, T3), showcasing its ability to maintain or slightly improve efficiency under continuous operation. Starting at 99.98% efficiency in Test 1, increasing to 99.99% in Test 2, and achieving 100% in Test 3, the device consistently removed tire wear particles despite progressively higher particle concentrations—24,000 µg/L in T1, 38,000 µg/L in T2, and 44,000 µg/L in T3. These test concentrations far exceed typical real-world contamination levels of around 102 µg/L in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, with T3 representing a 431-fold increase over WWTP conditions. Importantly, the steady or improving efficiency across tests highlights the SATOORNIK Gen-I’s resilience and capability to handle extreme contamination loads without needing immediate maintenance, confirming its suitability for real-world applications requiring reliable, continuous operation.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study demonstrate that the SATOORNIK Gen-I filtration system, tested at unit full scale, is a highly effective solution for addressing the growing environmental issue of tire wear pollution. Despite the high initial concentrations of tire wear particles—hundreds of times greater than real-world pollution levels—the system achieved remarkable separation efficiencies of 99.99%, effectively reducing particle concentrations to near-zero levels across all tests. This performance was consistent across varying particle masses and test conditions, proving the strength and reliability of the technology.
Since this was a real-scale unit test, the results provide a direct insight into the device’s potential for practical application in urban environments. Tire wear particles are a major contributor to microplastic pollution in urban runoff and wastewater, and the success of the SATOORNIK Gen-I system highlights its potential to mitigate significant environmental and public health risks.
The tests confirmed not only the system's filtration capabilities but also its ability to operate continuously without loss of performance, further reinforcing its real-world applicability. In conclusion, SATOORNIK Gen-I shows promise as a critical tool in reducing tire wear pollution, offering a vital step toward cleaner water sources, healthier ecosystems, and more sustainable urban environments.
REFERENCES
1.Nikpay, M. and Toorchi Roodsari, S., 2024. Crafting a Scientific Framework to Mitigate Microplastic Impact on Ecosystems. Microplastics, 3(1), pp.165-183.
2.Mayer, P.M., Moran, K.D., Miller, E.L., Brander, S.M., Harper, S., Garcia-Jaramillo, M., Carrasco-Navarro, V., Ho, K.T., Burgess, R.M., Hampton, L.M.T. and Granek, E.F., 2024. Where the rubber meets the road: Emerging environmental impacts of Tire Wear particles and their chemical cocktails. Science of the Total Environment, p.171153.
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