Why
road
runoff

deserves
more
attention

Modern mobility leaves particles behind. Microplastics from tyre wear are one important part of the problem

- but road runoff can also carry sediments, litter fragments and other harmful particles into the aquatic environment.

WHY RAINWATER

IS IMPORTANT

Rainwater is a vital resource - but in urban and trafficked environments it also becomes a transport route for pollution. Once particles are washed from roads into drainage systems, they can travel far beyond the point where they were generated, adding pressure to receiving waters and local water quality.

AN OVERLOOKED THREAT

MICROPLASTICS FROM TIRES

When people think about water pollution, they often picture visible waste. In reality, some of the most persistent problems are small particles from everyday traffic and urban activity. Tyre wear has become one of the clearest examples - not because it is the only issue, but because it reveals how much pollution moves through road runoff unnoticed.

ROAD

A major transport pathway for harmful particles from trafficked surfaces.

TSS

Suspended solids are a key water-quality issue in stormwater systems.

TYRE

A major focus area within the broader road-runoff challenge.

What’s Inside

a Car Tyre

Tyre wear is not just a plastic issue. Tyres are complex products containing polymers, fillers and additives. As tyre particles move into runoff systems, the concern is therefore not only the particles themselves, but also the substances associated with them.
  • 6PPD (antioxidant):
    Used to protect the tire from degradation, but it breaks down into 6PPD-quinone, a toxic substance for aquatic life.
  • PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons):
    Known carcinogens that can leach into the environment.
  • Zinc Oxide:
    Used as a filler, but harmful to both aquatic ecosystems and wildlife.
The tire industry is actively working on creating tires that leave fewer microplastic particles on the roads, while still providing the safety and performance we all desire. However, protecting our water environment requires immediate action.

AN INVISIBLE CONSEQUENCE

FOR WILDLIFE and HUMANS

Road runoff matters because it transfers pollution into the water environment. That affects ecological quality, local receiving waters and, ultimately, the broader management challenge around surface-water protection. BAIONYX is focused on practical source-control measures that can reduce particle transport before pollutants move further into the system.