In an estimated study of the impact of tire and road wear particles (TRWP) in Kalamalka Lake, between three and 27 tonnes of particulate matter end up in the lake in a given year.
The numbers come from a study written by Kevin McCarty, and was presented at a Water Sustainability event hosted in Vernon's Paddlewheel Hall on Sunday, June 22.
McCarty is a climate action specialist at the City of Vernon, and former senior specialist at Kal Tire. He launched research back in 2022 that analyzed an
His study focused on a 20 kilometre stretch of Highway 97 that runs adjacent to Kalamalka Lake and the TRWP's that ended up in the lake, via the stormdrains. According to McCarty, Highway 97 is the second busiest highway in the province, with 30,000 vehicles assumed to pass through the specific highway stretch each year.
"The annual total emissions generated on the roads were predicted to be as high as 136 tonnes and as low as 19 tonnes," said McCarty. "The annual emissions to surface water ranged between three and 27 tonnes."
Globally, tread wear from road tires results in approximately 5.9 million tonnes of TRWPs being emitted annually, and McCarty suggested from his research that other Canadian regions could see similar amounts of TRWP's contaminate water sources.
"In terms of simple things that you can do to help reduce TRWP's is to not brake so suddenly, and take your corners slowly," McCarty said. "Companies are already investing in longer-lasting tires, and the hope is that that research can continue."
To view the full paper, .
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
