Exhaust fumes for years have been thought of as the worst toxic byproduct of cars, but a new study found that another part of your vehicle might be producing more carcinogens.
The new research published in the Particle and Fibre Toxicology journal found that the dust particles emitted from brake pads could be more toxic to our lungs than exhaust fumes. “Airborne fine particulate matter with diameter exhaust emission reduction measures have not diminished,” the team explained in their study.
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The scientists looked at the effects of particulate matter on our lungs from four different types of brake pads with various chemical makeups: low metallic, semi-metallic, non-asbestos organic, and hybrid-ceramic. Of the four, dust from non-asbestos organic brake pads was found to be more toxic to human lung cells than diesel exhaust particles and more capable of inducing inflammation and other signs of toxicity. Ceramic pads came in second place.
“People generally associate pollution from cars as being from exhaust pipes and think of electric vehicles as having zero emissions. However, electric vehicles still produce particulate matter due to friction and wear of the road, tires, and brakes,” study lead author Dr. James Parkin said in a statement. “We wanted to understand how different types of chemical composition of pads affect the toxicity of the particles emitted and what this might mean for the health of individuals.”
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More research needs to be done to determine just how harmful these particles can be and if anything can be done to mitigate these effects in the air on the road, despite the proliferation of exhaustless electric vehicles in the coming years.
“This [study] has implications for understanding the health impacts of road vehicle emissions, even after the upcoming decarbonization of the road vehicle fleet,” the researchers said in the paper. “More broadly, our findings illustrate the importance of [particular matter] composition on potential health effects, highlighting the need for targeted legislation to protect public health.”
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