Flutterby™! : Brake pad dust

As if exhaust and tire dust and asphalt particles and collision trauma weren't enough: Science Alert: Cars Make One Thing Even More Toxic Than Diesel Fumes, Study Reveals

Particle and Fibre Toxicology: Copper-enriched automotive brake wear particles perturb human alveolar cellular homeostasis

We demonstrate here that brake-wear PM may perturb cellular homeostasis more than diesel exhaust PM. Our findings demonstrate the potential differences in effects, not only for non-exhaust vs exhaust PM, but also amongst different sources of non-exhaust PM. This has implications for our understanding of the potential health effects of road vehicle-associated PM. More broadly, our findings illustrate the importance of PM composition on potential health effects, highlighting the need for targeted legislation to protect public health.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12989-024-00617-2