Metallic particles from brake pad abrasion (up to a fifth of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution on the road) can cause inflammation and reduce ability of immune cells to kill bacteria, similar to particles derived from the exhaust gases of diesel vehicles.
More than half of IKEA's climate footprint comes from materials in products and production.
The scientists, mainly funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), say this suggests particulate pollution from brake wear could be contributing to increased susceptibility to respiratory infections and other negative health effects .
It is estimated that only 7% of PM2.5 pollution from traffic comes from exhaust gases on the road; the rest comes from sources such as tire, clutch and brake wear, as well as resuspension from road dust. Brake dust is the source of approximately 20% of total PM2.5 traffic pollution.
These are particles small enough to be inhaled into the deeper regions of the lung.
Until now much of the research into the effects of traffic pollution has focused on particles from the tailpipes of diesel vehicles, but this new study has investigated whether particles in brake dust have effects similar
Dr Ian Mudway, who led the research at the MRC Center for Environment and Health at King's College London, said: “At this point, the literature references fully justify the focus on tube emissions. of exhaust from diesel vehicles, but we must not forget or discard the importance of other components, such as metals from mechanical abrasion, especially from brakes. There is no such thing as a zero-emissions vehicle, and as regulations come into force to reduce exhaust emissions, the contribution from these sources is likely to be more significant."
Brake dust is rich in metals, and can catalyze the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage cells when they enter the lungs and lead to an increased risk of bacterial infections such as coughs, colds, pneumonia and bronchitis.
Scientists were surprised to find that metals in both brake dust and exhaust pipes from diesel vehicles had similar effects on immune cells, as diesel exhaust lacked the common iron and copper in brake dust, which is known to generate ROS in the body.
There were many other metal particles they had in common (such as arsenic, tin, and antimony), but the researchers concluded that the biggest culprit was vanadium, since it was the only metal that the cells cells absorbed more and more as the dose of brake dust and diesel exhaust particles increased.
This research was conducted on cells in the laboratory and more research is needed to fully understand the health effect of brake dust particles.
