Researchers say brake dust is more toxic than diesel car emissions

Brake dust is the latest motoring by-product to be under scrutiny when it comes to our health. And sighing deeply is not advisable right now.

Because researchers from the University of Southampton have found that particulate matter (PM) from brake pads could be doing our respiratory systems more damage than the diesel cars we’re driving.

The team exposed lung cells to fine PM of four types of brake pad: non-asbestos organic, hybrid-ceramic, low metallic and semi-metallic. The first two proved the most potent, inducing significant markers of toxicity such as inflammation. Since both contain copper, the researchers removed this element and saw the toxicity levels diminish.

Dr James Parkin, lead author, explained: “People generally associate pollution from cars as being from exhaust pipes and think of electric vehicles as having zero emissions. However, EVs still produce particulate matter due to friction and wear of the road, tyres, and brakes.”

Particulate matter is really small. So small, it’s microscopic - about 30 times smaller than the diameter of human hair, though honestly, we still can't figure out how small that is. The point is, it’s very easy to breathe into the most delicate parts of our lungs. As PM is currently responsible for an estimated four million premature deaths per year around the globe, pandemic-style masks might not be the worst idea.

But don't panic. Thankfully for every bunch of boffins pointing out current and potential future crises - we haven't forgotten about the oceans - there's another equally genius team working on solutions. Take tyre company Enso, for example. In 2023, it was listed for the Earthshot Prize because its EV-specialist tyres reduce PM emissions by 35 per cent and increase (exhaust) emissions-free travel by 10 per cent. Now you can breathe more easily.