"Brake Pad Dust: The Surprising Environmental Villain Lurking in Your Car"

Brake Pad Dust: The Surprising Environmental Villain Lurking in Your Car [SWOP NEWS]

Brake Dust has some Surprises:

For all the car enthusiasts and environment conservationists, here is a piece of interesting news! Recent research indicates that microscopic particles that whiz out from brake pads can be more toxic than diesel vehicle exhausts.

Electric Vehicles are not a Total Solution:

Findings revealed that just shifting to electric vehicles might not fully eradicate pollution from cars. You see, somewhat unexpectedly, brake pads composed of a higher concentration of copper were found particularly injurious. They affected sensitive lung cells more effectively due to particles being inhaled.

Non-exhaust Emissions need Attention:

Vehicle pollution, notably from cars, vans, and lorries, has been linked in earlier studies to increased risks of lung and heart disease. Although exhaust emissions have received the lion's share of attention in this arena, particles released into the air from brake pad wear and tear have surprisingly fallen through the analytical cracks.

Calling for Policy Changes:

The significant issue here is that such emissions are largely unregulated. The scientists discovered that these "non-exhaust" pollution sources are now major contributors to overall vehicle particulate matter emissions. As a result, it's clear that policies targeting solely exhaust-related emissions might not fully address the challenge of traffic-induced pollutants.

Thumbs-up for Real World Relevance:

It's important to note that the brake wear particles used in the study were generated using a standard braking cycle. This cycle includes different types and speeds of braking, making the particles representative of general real-world brake wear. Although variables such as differing brake types and pollutant composition exist, this pioneering research delivers a wake-up call on the hidden harms of non-exhaust emissions.




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