Believe it or not, rubber particulates from tires may pollute more than gasses emitted from vehicle tailpipes. Varying by compound, the emissions created by tires come in the form of expelled rubber particles which eventually reach waterways or soak into nearby soil. According to Emissions Analytics, a UK-based vehicle data specialist, tire-wear particles account for emissions at a rate 16 times greater than the maximum tailpipe emissions allowed for modern cars in the UK.

Over a tire's lifespan, it will emit an average of 1850 times more particles than the actual tailpipe emissions of a modern gas car. How did they come up with this whopping statistic? Data was collected using proprietary particulate sampling equipment over the course of 1000 real world miles in combination with precision scale weight figures on all four tires. Hundreds of brand-new and used tires in addition to various driving styles created additional variables in particulate mass emissions measurements.

Emissions Analytics cautions that such figures need careful scrutiny. "The fundamental trends that drive this ratio are: Tailpipe particulate emissions are much lower on new cars, and tire-wear emissions increase with vehicle mass and aggressiveness of driving style," the company report reads. "Tailpipe emissions are falling over time while tire wear emissions are rising as vehicles become heavier and added power and torque is placed at the driver’s disposal.