A consortium of tire companies – such as Bridgestone, Continental, Michelin, Pirelli and several others – have approved $2.2 million in funding and additional research on a multi-year research project studying the potential health and environmental impacts of tire wear particles.

During the past 16 months of the project, researchers focused on two key issues: improving the understanding of the materials used to produce tires and studying tire wear and roadway particles generated during normal vehicle use.

At a meeting of the company´s chief executive officers in Tokyo in June 2008 the preliminary results showed no acute environmental toxicity for tire wear or roadway particles – according to the Rubber Manufacurers Association (RMA). A further agreement constitutes continuing analysis under the European Union´s new Regulation, Evalutaion and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) program.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a global NGO working with environmental and social issues, is managing the research project. The results and conclusions will be presented at upcoming scientific conferences, as well as an extract of reports from the research project are posted on the WBCSD website.