There goes the notion of a zero-emission vehicle. The chief suspect is vanadium, which ‘was the only metal that interacted with the macrophages and was also present in both brake dust and diesel exhaust particles’.
The harmful impact of air pollution caused by diesel exhaust fumes on our health is well known, says The Conversation.
It’s responsible for causing everything from respiratory problems to dementia and even certain types of cancers.
But what most people don’t realise is that exhaust fumes aren’t the only cause of air pollution.
In fact, up to 55% of roadside traffic pollution is made of non-exhaust particles, with around 20% of that pollution coming from brake dust. And as our latest research reveals, these particles may be just as damaging to our lungs as exhaust fumes.
Composed of iron particles, brake dust is caused by friction between the iron brake rotor grinding on the brake pads when a vehicle slows down. This brake dust is then worn away and becomes airborne.
And as recent research conducted by me and my colleagues found, brake dust triggers inflammation in the lung cells with the same severity as diesel particles.
Full article here.
via Tallbloke’s Talkshop
January 13, 2020 at 06:27AM
Iowa Climate Science Education 