Research Findings: EVs Also Have Harmful Pollution For This Reason

KatadataOTO – Even switching to an EV is not the best answer to reducing pollution, because brake dust is worse than diesel emissions.

The results of this study were released by scientists from the University of Southampton, England, who examined the impact of particulate emissions from various types of brake pads on the lungs. From several types of brakes, it was found that one type of pad has a low metal composition, while the other three contain semi-metallic, non-asbestos organic, and hybrid ceramic materials.

An interesting point to note is that the use of materials labeled non-asbestos organic, which was considered the best in terms of pollution, turned out to be the cause of the most inflammation. These pads are actually more toxic or have a worse impact on the lungs than diesel emissions.

According to the study's authors, this type of pad is most commonly used in the United States due to its various advantages. Namely, they are inexpensive, quiet or do not produce excessive noise when in use, and have a fairly low wear rate.

Photo : Carscoops

These non-asbestos brake pads are themselves a development from previous ones that contained asbestos. However, they still contain copper fibers to maintain thermal conductivity, similar to asbestos-based pads. 

Asbestos itself was removed from the mixture due to its link to lung disease. But it turns out that copper dust, which is still present in modern or non-asbestos pads, has also been linked to lung diseases such as cancer, asthma, and chronic lung disease.

From the results of this study, it was also concluded that EVs or electric vehicles are not a panacea for reducing pollution or making the air cleaner. Because, like ICE vehicles, brake dust from EVs is also very toxic and is even said to be more dangerous than inhaling coal dust.

Photo : Fisker

EVs themselves rely heavily on regenerative braking, as it significantly reduces the use of traditional friction brakes. However, electric vehicles are heavier than ICE vehicles, which means they produce more pad dust when braking.