Car brake dust can be more Harmful Than diesel exhaust, Study Suggests

Exposure to Air POLLATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH AROUND 7 Million Premature deaths per year across the world. When we think of urban airline, diesel exhaust emissions are often portrayed as a key culprit – rightly so, given Previous Research Findings. However, Our Latest Research shows that dust from brake pads could be more harmful to our lungs.

Dust Produced by Wear of the Road, Tires, and Brakes, Known As “NON-EXHAUST EMISSIONS”are now the Major Type of Emission from Road Transport, Surpassing Exhaust Emission Across Many European Countries. OF THESE, BRAKE DUST IS OFTEN THE MAIN CONTRIBUTOR, BUT IT’S NOT YET SUBJECT TO REGULATION. There is Much Less Known About The Potential Health Effects of Brake Dust Compred to Diesel Exhaust Dust.

We grew Cells in the Lab To mimic the lining of the lung, and exhibited these cells to both brake dust and diesel exhaust dust. BRAKE DUST PROVED SIGNENTLY MORE HARMFUL TO THATE CELLS ACROSS DIFFERENT MASSURES THAT ARE LINKED TO LUNG DISEASES SUCH AS CANCER AND ASTTHMA. Interestingly, We Found That Removing Copper From the Brake Dust Reduced these Effects.

FROM THIS, CURRENT TEHICE REGULATIONS IN THE UK Only Target Exhaust Emission. Our Findings Suggest There is an urgent need to consider regularization of non-exhaust emission as well. Reformulating BRAKE PADS MIGHT BE ONE WAY TO REDUCE THE POTENTIAL HEALTH BURDEN IMPEDIED ​​BY THESE EMISCIES.

BRAKE PADS PREVIOUSLY CONTAINED ASBESTOS FIBERS TO DEAL WITH OVERHEATING. However, asbestos was banned in the uk in 1999 BECAUSE OF LINKS TO LUNG DISEASE. This resulted in the motor industry Designing New Brake Pad Linings, Including Non-Esbestos Organic (no) Pads Commonly Used in Vehicles Today.

We compared the Harmfulness of Dust from the wear of different pad Types. IRONICALLY, We found that dust from the no pads, designed to replace asbestos-containing pads, was the show toxic to lung cells compared not only to dust from other pad types, but diesel exhaust dust. Some of the Effects on Our Exposed Cells Relate to Diseases Such As Lung Cancer, Lung Fibrosis (Lung Scarring), Asthma, and Chronic obstructive pulmonary dissease.

Previous Research Has Shown That Metals in Air Pollution Particles Can Have Toxic Effects. We Measred the Metal Content in the Different Types of Brake Dust and Diesel Exhaust Dust. Ai Techniques Identified High Copper Content as The Defing Characteristic of Brake Dust from not pads.

We also found that this Copper Could Get Inside Exhibit Lung Cells. MOST INTERNTINGLY, WHEN WE TREATED THIS BRAKE DUST WITH A CHEMICAL TO NEUTRALIZE COPPER, ITS TOXIC Effects Were Diminished. This suggests that copper is causing at least disuse of the Harmful Properties of this dust.

ALMOST HALF Of all the copper in the air we breathe coms from brake and tire wear. Various Studies Conducted by other Research Groups Have Found That Exposure To High Concentrations of Copper is Associated With With Impaired Lung Functionand Overall Risk of Death.

EVS AREN’T PERFECT

There is a Huge Body of Evidence Showing That Airborne Dusts Are Damaging to Our Health. UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE THE SWITCH TO ELECTRIC VHICLES (EVS) Will Eliminate Exhigns, Which Include Toxic Gases As Will As Dust, It Will Not Eliminate Road, Tire and Brake Dust.

Studies Indicate That, Because They Tond to Be Heavier, Electric Vehicles Can Generate More Non-Exhaust Dust Than Petrol or Diesel Vehicles“But zero-emission label is Clearly Not Accurate.”

Disappear evs are fitted with regenerative braking Systems That Allow the Engine to A AS A Generator, Slowing the Car. However, Evs are Still Fitted with Fried Braking Systems, Wich Help Bring the Car to Full Stop, So They Still Generate Brake Dust.

The Upcoming EURO 7 EMISSIONS STANDARDS That will be introduced In November 2026 Will Place Limits on Brake Dust Essuons Which May Spur Innovation to Develop New BRAKE MATERIALS or Dust-Trapping Mechanisms. They May Also Place Extra Focus on Traffic Calming and Road Design, to Minimize Stop-Start and Aggressive Driving Styles-BOTH OF WHICH INCREASE BRAKE DUST EMISCONS.

New Brake Pad Formulations Might Reduce The Total Level of Dust Emission or Might Be Designed to Delete Toxic Components Similarly to How Business Was Eliminated Previously. Notably, in the US, Both California and Washington have passed legislation to Reduce Copper Content Within Brake Pads, Although this was primary in response to Concerns About the Runoff of Copper From Brake Dust Into Waterways, Affecting Aquatic Life.

Non-exhaust emissions are all around US, make up AROUND 60% Of All Vehicle-Derived POLLATION PARTICLES IN THE UK. It is important for us to recognize that there is no air pollutant for which there is an Established Safe Exposure Level.

AS We Make the Shift to Electric Cars, Science and Regular Must Approach These Emission as Seriously As Those from the Exhaust Pipe.

This article is republished from The Conversation Under Creative Commons License. Read the Original Article.