The brakes of your car also get dirty

At every stop, they emit tiny dust particles called ‘PM2.5 emissions’, which have potential consequences such as cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory accidents.

With the approval in November of the Euro 7 pollution standard by the European Commission, which will come into force on 1 July 2025 for cars and vans, and two years later for lorries and buses, a new regulation will be introduced for pollutant emissions that are not come from combustion, now also limit emissions from brakes and wheels.

And it is that the brake discs emit small dust particles called ‘PM2.5 emissions’ with every brake application. They are ultra-fine particles with a diameter of up to 2.5 micrometers, which is approx
200 times smaller than a grain of sand.

This size allows the particles to bypass the body’s natural filters: nose and throat, reach the lungs on inhalation and enter the bloodstream. The possible consequences: cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory accidents.

In this sense, according to studies by the National Institute of Applied Sciences in Lyon, brake pads generate 20,000 tons of particulate matter per year. Of this, 9,000 million tons remain
floating in the atmosphere. For example, some estimates suggest that the friction between the brake pads and discs alone is responsible for one-fifth of the pollution caused by cars.

Brake pads and discs operate on the basis of mutual destruction, that is, they wear and produce dust, while generating enough friction to decelerate the car, converting the car’s kinetic energy into heat during braking in a volume that directly related to the speed and speed. weight of a car.

Component manufacturers such as MANN+HUMMEL have developed pads with
less and less harmful compounds. And it is that originally the brake pads contained asbestos. However, the discs are responsible for most of the brake dust. The pills are only responsible for 30% of those emissions. The reason is the larger surface area of ​​the discs compared to the size of the brake pads.

Source: La Verdad

Mary

I am Mary Fitzgerald, a professional journalist and author of the Today Times Live. My specialty is in writing and reporting on technology-related topics. I have spent the last seven years extensively researching and understanding the field of technology so I can properly inform my readers about developments in this ever-evolving world.