Electric vehicles are set to end tailpipe emissions, significantly improving air quality in urban areas. But particulate matter emitted from
Electric vehicles are set to end tailpipe emissions, significantly improving air quality in urban areas. But particulate matter emitted from brakes and tyres will continue to pose health risks and could even increase after the EV revolution, studies show.
To date, policymakers in both member states and Brussels have tended to focus their regulatory powers on pollution from exhaust pipes. However, this is only part of driving’s impact on air quality.
In the coming years, non-exhaust particulate matter will overtake the quantity emitted from tailpipes.
These emissions stem from the scraping of brake pads and the friction between roads and tyre rubber, both of which can cause small particles to break off.
These particles add to those generated from the wear-and-tear of road surfaces to create “road dust”. As vehicles traverse a road, this toxic dust is suspended in the air, making it more likely to be inhaled.
Scientists divide particulate matter into coarse dust (PM10) and fine dust (PM2.5). While both are toxic, the minute size of PM2.5 particles, which are around 30 times smaller than a single human hair, enable them to penetrate more deeply into the respiratory system, damaging lung tissue.
Long-term exposure to elevated levels of PM2.5 increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases. It can also lead to disorders in the reproductive and central nervous systems. A joint OECD and EU report from 2020 found that up to 346,000 deaths within the EU in 2018 were attributable to PM2.5.
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There's a method of reducing this type of pollution that's not mentioned; reduce the number of cars on the roads and stop building new motorways. That will save precious resources. We might not even need to mine them in the first place.
It might also be worth noting that lithium and cobalt and many other Rare Earth Elements are not good for the environment. In fact the CO2 emissions as a result of manufacturing and using electric cars are nearly as bad as petroleum and diesel cars if you look closely at cradle to grave data. I am making a film that briefly touches on why this is! It is a drama-comedy style documentary called ‘The World Stripped Bare’. My other film is more serious and is about Easter Island.
