Reducing tire and road wear particle (TRWP) emissions is a priority for sustainable mobility. Capturing particles directly behind a tire remains technically difficult due to turbulence, adhesion and dispersion. To highlight the need for studying rubber itself rather than whole tires, Coesfeld used the well-known DIN abrasion test (ISO 4649) as a simple, illustrative method. Even under these ideal laboratory conditions, full recovery of rubber wear particles proved challenging, raising doubts about reliable on-road capture. Simplified laboratory studies are therefore indispensable for understanding particle formation and for developing materials that minimize emissions at the source.

• Why direct on-road collection of tire wear particles is highly challenging
• How simplified lab tests help isolate fundamental mechanisms of abrasion
• Why analyzing rubber, not whole tires, is key to understanding emissions
• What particle recovery limits reveal about real-world capture feasibility
• How material-focused studies can guide emission reduction at source