Although plastic particles in the air are increasingly coming into focus, knowledge about their distribution and effects is still limited. Chemical analyses from Leipzig now provide details from Germany for the first time: Around 4% of the particulate matter consists of plastic. Around two-thirds of this comes from tire abrasion.
Most vehicle tyres have moved a way from entirely rubber construction a while ago and will contain multiple additives such as polymers to improve performance, lifespan etc.
Some may even be made entirely of synthetic rubber but I don’t know if they are widely used or at all.
that’s my thought: would moving back to pure rubber solve the microplastic problem?
I suspect there isn’t enough natural rubber supply in the world for our needs.