"A scientific review of 52 studies recently concluded that humans on average consume a credit card’s worth of microplastic each week." Wow
As shocking as that is, I'd like to see some confirmation of that number.
Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters
131–140 of 232 posts
Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters
#132Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ford was shipping cars with asbestos brakes in 1993. Asbestos brakes are still readily available on the aftermarket. Brake pads since 2015 sold in California and Washington must have less than 0.1% asbestos by weight (it's unclear to me if that's asbestos alone, or asbestos and other heavy metals like cadmium or mercury). Since the ban was put into place in 2015, you can reasonably infer a) that there were brake pads…
the subway brakes in washington dc are abestos brakes. you can smell them quite strongly.
Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters
#133Earlier quoted context omitted.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222987/ > Most Plastic Products Release Estrogenic Chemicals: A Potential Health Problem That Can Be Solved > Results: Almost all commercially available plastic products we sampled—independent of the type of resin, product, or retail source—leached chemicals having reliably detectable EA, including those advertised as BPA free. In some cases, BPA-free products released ch…
I wonder if there's a point where the leaching greatly diminishes after so long (b/c everything from the surface has leached). For instance, I'd like to know if my hard-plastic Camelbak water container is now basically safe considering I've had it for about 4 years and refill it about 2/3 times a day, or if it's leaching at essentially the same rate as when it was new.
Or perhaps it leeches at a higher rate as the plastic physically and chemically degrades. Would be worth looking into.
Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters
#134Imagine all the problems that would be solved if someone invented a car with metal wheels, maybe one that can hold hundreds of people, goes really fast, is quiet and efficient....
The Michelin airless tire is getting close.. (still uses rubber but not nearly as much as conventional tires) https://michelinmedia.com/michelin-uptis/
It uses the same amount of rubber on the part that matters for the subject. The microplastics in this case are not caused by the total rubber content, but the rubber that is lost through road wear, and that will be the same on the airless tires, as it cannot be changed without impacting the grip (or the cars will have the same problems as the trains discussed above - huge stopping distance, unable to go up a >2% slope without special tricks).
Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters
#135Earlier quoted context omitted.
the subway brakes in washington dc are abestos brakes. you can smell them quite strongly.
Huh, TIL. Never knew what that smell was.
Something's fishy: http://unsuckdcmetro.blogspot.com/2012/01/whats-that-foul-sm...
Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters
#136Earlier quoted context omitted.
They did, unfortunately no one remembered to bring it over from Europe.
That did exist in the US Northeast when I was a kid. Most everything we needed could be walked to. Walmart, Home Depot, and other chains eventually killed off all the walking distance mom and pop restaurants, grocery marts and shops.
This is happening in my hometown Chitré, Panama, an 80k population town in a developing country. But ask almost anyone and they'll tell you how Chitré feels more and more like the capital city, i.e. more developed. No politician in her right mind is going to propose increasing tariffs on cars and taxes on fuel. People thinks its perfectly OK if pedestrians have access to the worst infrastructure, while cars proliferate. After all, you work hard, buy a car, close the windows, turn on the AC, and let the underachievers breathe burned fuel. The world is in order.
Update: I've also stayed several months in Chile, which based on GDP, HDI, and Gini Coefficient, is a more developed country. Fuel is twice the price as in Panama, pedestrian infrastructure is well maintained, and the car driver culture in terms of following rules is the opposite of Panama. Mom and pop shops are the norm there, everywhere I went.
Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters
#137Are tires made of plastic?
There are reinforcing fibers that automotive tire manufacturers advertise made of steel and kevlar for higher performance tires. Kevlar is plastic and IIRC was invented in the 60's.
From riding a bicycle as a hobby, most of my puncture flats on the road come from tiny steel strands that come off of tires that have been used a little too much. I imagine the steel fibers just rust away eventually but the kevlar just gets ground into tinier and tinier bits.
Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters
#138What are the negative effects of microplastics?
Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters
#139This is one reason why I don't like living near freeways, especially near on-ramps, off-ramps, and interchanges. Car pollution isn't just tailpipe emissions - I believe a lot of airborne particulates come from tires and brakes (especially during acceleration, deceleration, and turning). https://www.cdc.gov/air/particulate_matter.html
I once had to wait at a bus stop right next to the 405 in Los Angeles for a good 30 minutes. It felt like being suffocated.
Re: Car tires biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters
#140Earlier quoted context omitted.
Lead used tp be a very common additive in gasoline. In the US there was no legislation to reduce it's use until the 1973 and it wasn't fully banned until 1996. It can be assumed that any well-trafficked road during or before this period has substantial lead contamination.
It's still allowed in general aviation. Let your lawmakers know if that bothers you. The stakeholders in this case happen to be a small, wealthy minority.
Wealthy on a global level definitely, but as far as Americans go there are lots of relatively normal middle-income hobbyists in GA. You can buy and operate a plane for less than a used car if you're frugal about flying.