Study finds brake pad dust more harmful than diesel emissions

A group of researchers from Southampton, UK, has made a surprising discovery studying the toxicity of the fine dust produced by car brake pads.

As it turned out, exposure to this dust poses much greater respiratory risks for humans than diesel engine emissions. Even “eco-friendly” EVs are guilty of this type of emission despite mostly relying on regenerative braking.

The EVs tend to be heavier than comparable ICE cars, so when their drivers do use traditional brakes (e.g., for emergency braking), the pads eject much more particulate matter into the air than they do when used on lighter cars. The difference is so big, the study claims, that the EVs are barely less polluting in this regard than the traditional cars.