Brake Dust Particulate Exposure (Copper, Antimony Trisulfide, Iron Oxide, Legacy Asbestos, EU Copper Ban, Cyclist/Pedestrian Exposure) — outdoor safety profile
Moderate riskBrake wear is a major source of non-exhaust traffic-related particulate matter, contributing an estimated 16-55% of total traffic PM10 and 11-21% of traffic PM2.5 at urban roadside locations (Grigoratos & Martini, 2015).
What is this product?
Brake wear is a major source of non-exhaust traffic-related particulate matter, contributing an estimated 16-55% of total traffic PM10 and 11-21% of traffic PM2.5 at urban roadside locations (Grigoratos & Martini, 2015). Conventional semi-metallic and low-metallic brake pads contain copper (3-20% by weight), antimony trisulfide (1-5%, as lubricant), iron oxide (30-60%), and trace amounts of other metals. Copper from brake wear has been identified as the primary source of dissolved copper in urban stormwater — accounting for 35-60% of total copper loading to San Francisco Bay (SFEI study, 2015), with copper being acutely toxic to aquatic organisms at low concentrations (LC50 for rainbow trout: 14-23 ug/L). The EU adopted copper restrictions in brake pads under Regulation 2018/858: copper content must be reduced to 0.5% by weight by January 2025 (from typical levels of 3-20%). Washington state (SB 6557, 2010) and California (SB 346, 2010) enacted similar copper brake pad phase-down legislation, with the final 0.5% limit effective 2025. Asbestos, while banned in brake pads in the EU since 1999 and largely phased out in the US by the 1990s, persists in some aftermarket and imported brake pads — the EPA issued a final rule banning remaining asbestos uses including brake pads in 2024 (TSCA Sec. 6). Pedestrians and cyclists at signalized intersections experience the highest brake dust exposure, with PM2.5 concentrations 2-4x higher within 10 meters of intersection stop lines compared to mid-block locations.
What's in it
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Friction Material
Lubricant
Legacy Contaminant
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