The researchers whose work you report on (Study links childhood air pollution exposure to poorer mental health, 28 April) conclude that both “fumes” and “particulate matter” lead to higher “psychopathology scores”.
We are told what constitutes “fumes” (nitrogen oxide) but not what makes up “particulate matter”. It is well known that particulates come from exhausts (especially from diesel vehicles) but, importantly, also from microscopic plastic and bitumen dust thrown up by abrasion between tyre tread and the tarmac of the road surface.
This is an important fact, because it significantly impacts current environmental policy. If we recognise that tyre dust is a major threat to respiratory health and soil quality, and a major contributor to microscopic ocean plastic, then we have to admit that even electric cars and trucks have no place in the modern world. We need to focus on pedestrian and rail transport and simply drop mass road transport as we know it. Otherwise we – or more probably our great-grandchildren – will suffer a slow death by tyre dust.
Alan Mitcham
Cologne, Germany
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