Hitchhiking Bacteria: Diverging effects of different tire wear particles on microbial biofilm composition

This study investigates the effects of various tire wear particle (TWP) types on microbial biofilm composition in a natural freshwater environment. TWPs differing in size, wear condition (unused vs. used), and vehicle type (car vs. truck) were incubated for four weeks directly in the Rhine River. Biofilms that developed on TWPs and on control sediments were sampled, and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (V4 region) was performed to characterize bacterial community composition. The data provide insights into how particle characteristics influence biofilm diversity and the selective enrichment of specific bacterial taxa on anthropogenic substrates in aquatic systems.