Tyre-wear particles captured to protect Lake Tahoe in California
A pilot project at Tahoe will analyse samples of captured particles to quantify the impacts on air and water.
The programme employs The Tyre Collective’s proprietary technology — discrete, compact devices affixed to a vehicle’s undercarriage — to capture harmful tyre-wear particles directly at the wheel.
The project is a collaboration between Keep Tahoe Blue, The Tyre Collective and the Desert Research Institute (DRI), alongside the Emerald Bay Shuttle and its operator, Downtowner.
They want to understand the impact of:
- Tyre-wear particles as a growing source of pollution in both the air and water.
- 6PPD-q, a toxic chemical found in tyres that is harmful to many fish species and a concern to Tahoe’s aquatic life.
- Microplastics, which threaten water quality and lake clarity as they accumulate.
- Fine sediment particles, the leading cause of clarity loss in Lake Tahoe, which binds with other pollutants and worsens their impact
The pilot seeks to demonstrate that alternative transportation options, like the Emerald Bay Shuttle, which prevents traffic impacts by taking cars off the road, can be paired with The Tyre Collective’s tyre-wear capture technology to holistically protect Tahoe’s air and water quality.
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