Pyrolyzed Calcium Oxalate Phytoliths and Tire Wear

The bright crystal shaped particle in the center of this image is a heat modified calcium oxalate phytolith. Most of the black particles around it are tire wear. Tire wear has very low reflectivity and contains mineral filler visible as birefringent small particles on the periphery of the main particle. This was collected in a Gatlinburg, Tennessee building after the 2016 fire using an environmental tapelift.